Holly Hibbott doubles up at National Winter Championships

Holly Hibbott dropped under the four minute mark for the first time in her 400m Freestyle short course career to win gold at the Swim England National Winter Championships.

The 19-year-old knocked 2.42 off her previous best of 4:02.25 set at the Stockport Metro November Short Course Open Meet last month as she finished in 3:59.83.

Hibbott led from start to finish to add the 400m Freestyle crown to the 800m title she won on day one of the championships at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge.

The Stockport Metro swimmer said: “I was looking forward to [the race].

“I think my aim for this cycle has been to go under four minutes so I’m really pleased to have done that and achieved my short-term goal for this season.

“I’ve got the 200m tomorrow, which is a bit of a sprint for me but I’m looking forward to it. I’ve done a lot of speed work this cycle so I think it should go well for me.”

Loughborough University’s Abbie Wood was the silver medallist in a time of 4:03.30, 3.47 seconds behind Hibbott, while the bronze went to Nova Centurion’s Polly Holden in a time of 4:07.32.

Leah Crisp had qualified fastest for the final but missed out on a medal as she finished fourth in 4:08.18.

Nova Centurion’s Freya Colbert, 14, was the junior champion after clocking 4:12.93.

Derventio’s Mia Slevin, 15, took the silver in 4:13.54, while City of Leicester’s Maisie Elliott, 15, was third in 4:16.97.

Kayla shows her class once more

In the Women’s 100m Individual Medley, Canada’s Kayla Sanchez again showed her class to take the gold medal in 58.24.

The High Performance Centre Ontario swimmer was an impressive 2.73 seconds ahead of Loughborough University’s Emily Crane, who won the open gold medal after clocking 1:00.97.

That was 1.7 seconds ahead of Mount Kelly’s Athena Clayson, who took the open silver in 1:02.67, while Newcastle’s Jane Brown was third in 1:02.72.

Six medals were presented to junior swimmers – three of them commemorative.

The commemorative gold went to Hamilton UAE’s Rosie Morgan, 15, who clocked 1:03.21 to finish ahead of Plymouth Leander’s Lana Broekhoven, 15, who recorded a time of 1:04.01.

Bournemouth’s Ella Chown, 15, was second junior home in 1:04.75, only 0.02 ahead of Hamilton UAE’s Anna Morgan, 15, who took a commemorative silver for her time of 1:04.77.

Hatfield’s Sara Kalawska, 15, was the junior bronze medallist (1:05.46), while Hamilton UAE’s Daniela Cogswell, 15, finished in 1:05.84 to take a commemorative bronze.

Yuri claims commemorative gold

In the Men’s 100m Freestyle, High Performance Centre Ontario’s Yuri Kisil was the commemorative gold medallist after finishing 1.18 seconds ahead of the field in 46.86.

City of Sheffield’s Elliot Clogg took the open gold medal in 48.04, 0.21 clear of commemorative silver medallist Jordan Sloan, of Bangor, who clocked 48.25.

The Bath University pair of Thomas Dean and Calum Jarvis were open silver and bronze medallists respectively after recording times of 48.30 and 48.88.

In the junior race, Derventio’s Jacob Whittle, 14, took gold in 51.41, Northampton’s Edward Mildred, 15, was second in 51.46, while City of Milton Keynes’ Jamie Hanss, 15, was third in 52.12.

Loughborough dominate relays again

Loughborough University again won both relays to continue their dominance of the team events.

Marie Wattel, Emily Barclay, Imogen Clark and Emily Crane were 3.94 seconds clear of Mount Kelly in 1:38.52 to take the gold medal.

Mount Kelly’s Emily Haimes, Macy Lawrence, Athena Clayson and Georgina Dennis, finished in 1:42.46, ahead of the commemorative bronze medallists Hamilton UAE.

Their quartet of Victoria Deona Bergeli, Daniela Cogswell, Rosie Morgan and Emily Peck, clocked 1:43.24 as they finished 0.41 ahead the Plymouth Leander team of Laura Stephens, Tegan Drew, Sophie Freeman and Honey Osrin, who recorded 1:43.65.

In the men’s race, Loughborough University’s team of Thomas Fannon, Miles Mackenzie, Brian O’Sullivan and James Oxborrow, touched home in 1.27.71 for the open gold medial.

Bangor’s Jack McMillan, Jordan Sloan, David Thompson and Curtis Coulter took the commemorative gold in 1:28.35.

Alistair Crawford, Ben Taylor-Walsh, Joseph Sadio and Ryan Flanagan, of East Leeds, won the open silver in a time of 1:30.34, 0.32 ahead of Hamilton UAE’s commemorative silver-winning team of Richard Kozhabayev, Joseph Page, Liam Selby and Sean McNicholl (1:30.66)

The open bronze was claimed by Plymouth Leander’s Edoardo Valsecchi, Reid Jones, Filippo Coacci and Freddy Clampett after they finished in 1:31.51.