Another European record and two more golds for Miley

THE records keep tumbling for Hannah Miley at the British Gas national championships in Sheffield.

EURO STAR: Hannah Miley clocks another European record in Sheffield (SWpix.com)

 

Having smashed the nine-year-old 200m medley European record at Ponds Forge on Tuesday, the 19-year-old returned to the pool to clock another European record - this time in the 400m medley.

And Miley was not finished there, coming back just an hour later to claim 200m breaststroke gold for medal number four of the championships, having also claimed 200m butterfly silver.

And while the Garioch swimmer admitted she was dead on her feet after an exhausting week, Miley remains adamant she will be back to spearhead Great Britain's charge at July's World Championships in Rome. 

"I am very tired now - it has been just unreal to get two European records and that race in particular has just made my week," said Miley

"I knew the 400m medley was going to be one of the hardest events of the week and I wasn't really thinking about the record too much.

"But to drop my time by that much is so amazing. I have tried to work hard on all four strokes but I think the breaststroke has been the one I have worked most on.

"If you look at my last five 400m medley races the breaststroke side of things has been completely different every time.

"I tried to swim my own race - it is hard when you are so far ahead and maybe I need to practice where I am being pushed.

"And then to come back and win 200m breaststroke gold is just the icing on the cake.

"It is great to qualify for the World Championships here because now I can fully concentrate on Rome, where hopefully I can build on this success."

Olympic open water silver medallist Keri-Ann Payne was second, 8.56 secs off the pace, while Aimee Wilmott was third.

 

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RELATED: Miley sets new British and European record

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Thomas Haffield has smashed his own British record on the way to successfully defending his 400m medley crown.

The 21-year-old City of Cardiff swimmer was in cruise control in the closing stages, touching home in 4:12.39 minutes - two tenths of a second off his own British record.

There were also lifetime bests for Lewis Smith, who picked up silver in 4:14.06m , while James Goddard, who claimed gold in the 200m medley, was a further 1.99 seconds off the pace.

In the men's 200m breaststroke final, Scotland's Kris Gilchrist held off a late challenge from Richard Webb to secure gold by just 0.14 secs.

Webb was forced to settle for silver but will be buoyed by the fact that he broke Nick Gillingham's 17-year-old English record.

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