Stacey storms to gold
Stacey Tadd produced an impressive performance to take gold in the 200m breaststroke at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield last night.
Stacey is one of the big University of Bath-based successes of the championships so far – the championships conclude on Sunday. Liz Johnson, Ian Hulme, James Doolan, Richard Webb and Chris Hebborn Walker have also won medals.
Tadd won the 200m breaststroke title last night (Wednesday) to achieve the qualifying standards for both the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and the European Championships.
It was a particularly impressive performance by the swimmer, who was named Most Promising Newcomer in the 2003 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards, but then suffered a career-threatening knee injury in 2004.
After surgery and long spells on the sidelines, she has now battled back to full fitness and finished more than half a second clear of silver medallist Hannah Miley, a Beijing 2008 Olympian, in yesterday’s final.
Stacey works as Team Bath’s Swim School administrator and is coached by Mark Skimming.
There was also a world record for Paralympic swimmer Liz Johnson in the SB6 100m breaststroke. She broke her own world record to win the multi-disability 100m breaststroke title in 1:39.58.
Chris Hebborn Walker, who trains at the British Gas Intensive Training Centre at the University of Bath, finished second in the men’s 200m backstroke.
Bath ITC swimmers finished first and second in the men’s 50m butterfly, with Ian Hulme winning gold and James Doolan taking silver.
University of Bath Swimming Club member Richard Webb took bronze in the men’s 100m breaststroke last night. However, as the two swimmers who finished ahead of him were Scots, he also achieves the qualifying standard for the Delhi Commonwealth Games as the highest placed English finisher. Webb is an instructor at the Team Bath Swim School.
The England Commonwealth Games team is scheduled to be announced in August.
The British Gas Swimming Championships conclude on Saturday (3rd April).
The University of Bath has one of the leading university sports departments in the UK. Under its Team Bath brand, its success is based on the expertise and dedication of staff, and its excellent facilities, used by the community and Olympic medal winners alike.
Members of the media who require further information can contact the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd on (01225) 383518 or 01225 443998 or see the Team Bath website.
