Elizabeth Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth, two of Great Britain’s best Olympic medal hopes for the Games in London next year, failed to qualify for the World Championships last night in a 200 metres race won by a lesser-known team-mate.
On a night when Rebecca Adlington, the double Olympic champion, booked a fourth world-title race in Shanghai in July with the fastest 800 metres freestyle time since the sport banned non-textile booster suits, Stephanie Proud, 22, produced the upset of the eight-day championships with a backstroke victory in 2min 09.41sec to qualify for her first senior long-course international for Britain.
Her success may yet serve as an inspiration for Simmonds, 20, who claimed the European crown over 200 metres last year — ahead of Spofforth — and the silver at the same event over 100 metres when Spofforth, the world champion in 2009, lifted the title.
Last night, Simmonds, who had missed the cut for the 100 metres, managed only a silver medal in 2:11.67, short of the target time and five seconds down on her best, while Spofforth, who had already qualified for Shanghai in the 100 metres, could manage only fifth, in 2:13.22.
Proud is proof that swimmers who lose their form can recover. A former triple European junior champion and a team-mate of Spofforth’s at the Florida Gators club, she has struggled for several years to make the transition to the senior Britain team. “I’m going to Shanghai and so happy,” Proud said. “I don’t want to go to a World Championships for a trip, I want medals.”
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While Spofforth said that she would “not dwell on it” and has opted not to seek 200 metres qualification at the ASA National Championships in June, Simmonds will take the chance to redeem herself. “This is probably the first time this has ever happened to me,” she said. “So many great athletes go through a bad meet, a bad month or even a bad year, then come back so much stronger in the future.”
Adlington is a past master of just that. Fourth in the world-title race over 800 metres in 2000 and out of the medals at the European Championships last year, she hit back with wins over 400 metres and 800 metres at the Commonwealth Games in October.
Last night, she clocked 8:20.23, drawing Jazz Carlin to silver in 8:25.67, good enough for a ticket to Shanghai in a final that saw five women race inside target time, including Kerri-Anne Payne, who returns home to Stockport with medals over 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and gold in the 1,500 metres to her credit.
Adlington has qualified over 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and the 4 x 200 metres at trials that have seen 21 swimmers make the cut with one day of racing remaining. Adam Brown, 22, was the latest addition to the squad after he won the 50 metres freestyle in 22.29sec.
British Gas Championships, Manchester Aquatics Centre: Finals: Men: Freestyle: 50m: 1, A Brown (Hatfield) 22.29sec; 2, O Morgan (Box Hill) 22.67; 3, S Burnett (Windsor) 22.79. Butterfly: 100m: 1, M Rock (Stockport Metro) 52.70; 2, A James (Plymouth Lea) 53.14; 3, J Doolan (Salford) 53.68. Women: Freestyle: 800m: 1, R Adlington (Nova Centurio) 8min 20.23sec; 2, J Carlin (Swansea) 8:25.67; 3, K-A Payne (Stockport) 8:29.98. Backstroke: 200m: 1, S Proud (Chester-le-Street) 2min 9.41sec; 2, E Simmonds (Loughborough) 2:11.67; 3, K Mann (Hillingdon) 2:12.54. Butterfly: 50m: 1, J Sylvester (Nova Centurion) 27.37; 2, R Kelly (Royal Wolverhampton) 27.44; 3, L Worrall (Stockport Metro) 27.70.