Live text commentary from day two of the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield

Posted: Tuesday 30th March 2010 | 8:55

From Chris Cottrell, Sportsbeat, in Sheffield

BACK IN THE HOMELAND: World champion Gemma Spofforth is back in Sheffield for the UK trials, just a week after competing in the NCAA Championships in USA
BACK IN THE HOMELAND: World champion Gemma Spofforth is back in Sheffield for the UK trials, just a week after competing in the NCAA Championships in USA (Getty Images)

KEEP REFRESHING FOR LIVE UPDATES FROM PONDS FORGE IN SHEFFIELD

IN PICTURES: Day two from the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield

So ROBERT BALE was the big winner today - booking his Commonwealth and European place with victory in the men's 200m freestyle - read about it here.

But there were impressive performances from AMY SMITH and LIZZIE SIMMONDS to qualify for respective finals tomorrow.

And ACHIUNG AJULU-BUSHELL's emphatic victory in the 50m breaststroke was something to savour.

19:23: That just about wraps up things here tonight - stay tuned to www.morethanthegames.co.uk for some reports and reaction.

And then don't forget to join me again tomorrow for the first session tomorrow.

19:20: One last race - it's a swim off to decide who is first reserve for the women's 100m final tomorrow.

And Maughan takes it. She'll act first reserve for tomorrow's final.

13-year old Amelia Maughan against South Aberdeen's Sara Hamilton.

19:13: Sportsbeat's David Jordan has been a busy boy in the mixed zone. He's had a tete-a-tete with Lowri Tynan.

She struck bronze in the women's 50m breaststroke.

"I'm really pleased with that I wanted to post a 31second time and I have come out and I have done that and I am delighted.

"My mind wasn't on medals or reords or any of that coming here,I just wanted to prove a point." - LOWRI TYNAN speaking to Sportsbeat's David Jordan.

19:10: Lizzie Johnson scores world record in women's MD 100m breaststroke.  She scores 1015 for her time of 1:39.58.

Charlotte Henshaw wasn't far off a world record either. She scores 993 for silver with Claire Cashmore collecting bronze.

19:07: Dan Pepper has just wno the men's MD 100m breaststroke final. He scored 798 for his time of 1:11.61 minutes with Matthew Whorwood second and David Ellis third.

18:59: Well the results are in and Spofforth isn't the fastest. She eased off to the end of her race there though.

Lizzie Simmonds won her heat in 59.84 seconds. Spofforth second fastest and Proud third fastest in 1:00.62 and 1:01.41 resepctively.

18:59: Gemma Spofforth, you're up! The world champion and world record holder was scintillating in the heats, setting the fourth fastest time in the world this year of 1:00.62 minutes.

Still, Lizzie Simmonds is the current holder of the second fastest time of the year - 59.90 seconds from the duel meet with Germany in February - and she positively eased through the heats

Meanwhile, Spofforth knows all about the ability of Steph Proud as the 21-year old trains with her at the University of Florida.

Those three came through the three fastest qualifiers but Georgia Davies set a personal best of 1:01.08 at the Germany duel meet and should make the final, while 14-year old talent Phoebe Lenderyou knocked an incredible 1.53 seconds off her personal best to qualify fifth fastest in 1:03.02.

18:52: Sportsbeat's David Jordan has been catching up with Jemma Lowe. She finished fourth in the 50m butterfly final earlier today but insists it's the 100m that matters most and qualification for the Euros and Commonwealths.

"I'm really gutted to finish fourth. Everyone says it's the worst position to finish and that is definitely true because I really wanted to be among the medals. But I'm not really a 50m swimmer and I've got the 100m still to come so I'm looking forward to that." - JEMMA LOWE chatting to Sportsbeat's David Jordan.

18:48: What a final 50m from Robert Bale and he takes gold! A personal best 1:47.82 minutes.

400m champion Robbie Renwick will compete with him in the individual events final at the Euros. He came second.

Third was Davenport and fourth was Carry.

18:46: So we come to the only Olympic discipline final of the night. Bit of a shame that, but it bodes well for an action-packed final tomorrow.

The top four go to the European Championships as the 4x200m relay team, the top four English finishers go to the Commonwealth Games in the same capacity.

The fifth-place finisher will probably also qualify but it does depend on results from the rest of the meet so they won't be counting their chickens and I certainly won't be doing it for them either.

Entertaining heats this morning with David Carry pipping Ross Davenport by 0.01 seconds to qualify fastest in 1:49.60 minutes.

So many other contenders though - 400m champion and British record holder Robbie Renwick, defending silver medallist Andrew Hunter and 400m bronze medallist Robert Bale is having a hell of a good meet.

18:45: Couple of great finals there - Halsall goes through fastest ahead of Amy Smith and Lucy Ellis.

18:39: Things are getting tasty now! Another Olympic class with the women's 100m freestyle semi finals and there's so much hanging on this - could be the two races of the night.

The heats were earlier today and world silver medallist Fran Halsall put her disappointing performance from day one behind her to qualify third in 56.16 seconds.

Not a scratch on her British record of 52.87 secs or her season's best of 24.94 secs from February's British University Championships....but it was just a morning's heat.

Amy Smith is back for another bite of the cherry after her gold in the 50m fly final earlier tonight and the 22-year old was fastest qualifier earlier today in 55.72 secs.

And Scotland's Caitlin McClatchey also bounced back from a below-par performance to qualify second fastest this morning.

Then you've got the likes of Katherine Wyld, Rebecca Turner and Jess Sylvester aiming to seal a place in the England Commonwealth relay quartet with a top four finish in the final.

18:38: And Jamieson does win it - in 1:01.76 minutes ahead of Richard Webb and James Kirton.

Sliwinski goes through to tomorrow's final as fastest qualifier.

18:37: We're back with the racing - Michael Jamieson is the fastest qualifier in this semi final.

18:35: "That was good. I want to keep getting faster though. My aim goes way beyond 2012 and I've got age on my side as well so I'm pretty relaxed and confident." - Daniel Sliwinski talks the talk.

18:30: Daniel Sliwinski wins that first semi final ahead of Darren Mew and Kris Gilchrist.

Sliwinski's time was 1:01.45 minutes with Mew 0.29 seconds behind. A few technical problems gives us a chance to breathe ahead of this second semi final. PHEW!

18:29: Can this be true? A race longer than one length??? YES! - it's the men's 100m breaststroke. Don't get too excited because they're only semi-finals. But still, exciting.

They're going for a place in tomorrow night's final with the top ten progressing. Scottish swimmer Michael Jamieson was the fastest qualifier in the heats with British record holder Daniel Sliwinski 0.37 seconds behind.

There's a few youngsters in these semi finals going for European Junior qualification times as well - Christopher Steeples, Xander Alari-Williams and Lewis Coleman will all be looking to go faster than 1:03.08 minutes.

It would be a personal best effort from all three if they did.

18:28: Gold for Louise Watkin - she scores 884 points to finish ahead of Stephanie Millward and take the title.

18:25: This is a high quality field as you'd probably expect! Olympic S9 bronze medallist Louise Watkin was the top qualifier with 847 points.

For the uninitiated, these multi-disciplinary races (MD) are decided by points, based on the swimmer's time in relation to their disability category world record.

Stephanie Millward (S9) will be in a straight first to the post with Watkin after qualifying second with 820.

Meanwhile, Emma Hollis (S8) was third qualifier. Olympic medal winners Claire Cashmore (S9) and Ellie Simmonds are also involved.

18:24: We've had two semi finals since Achieng Ajulu-Bushell won the 50m breaststroke - and she's still getting interviewed.

She is the new star of British swimming. And she seems such a nice girl as well.

18:22: Ian Hulme takes the first heat in 24.56 seconds and Antony James sets a season's best 24.41 seconds to win the second semi.

James Doolan finished 0.03 seconds back to qualify for the final as second fastest.

18:21: Keeping in line with the short and sharp - it's the men's 50m butterfly semi finals.

Only 18 people competed in the heats - and all 18 are back again for the semi finals. Quite why they did that is beyond me but never mind.

Andrew Maylor was the fastest earlier today, equalling his personal best with a time of 24.67 seconds.

But with genuine qualification now at stake, I think we'll see the likes of 20-year old Antony James (officially the fastest man in the field) and Ian Hulme.

Mark Foster's seven-year old British record of 23.51 seconds shouldn't be troubled.

18:17: Achieng Ajulu-Bushell wins it but it's slower than her semi final time of 31.01.

She wins in 31.18 seconds and shakes her head! What a talent she is.

Silver went to Stephanie Slater in 31.93 secs with Lowri Tynan taking bronze in 31.96 secs.

18:15: Good stuff in those first two races and they've just received their medals.

So let's roll on another 50m final - they're coming thick and fast aren't they!?! This time it's the women's 50m.

Welsh swimmer Lowri Tynan is British record holder but could only qualify fourth fastest and will be looking to make up some time in this final.

16-year old prodigy Achieng Ajulu-Bushell was more than a second quicker than anyone in the semi final and should win this. She's switched from Kenyan nationality to England and GB (born in Manchester, trains at Plymouth).

I'm not going to rule out Georgia Holderness though - she swam for GB at last season's World Champs in Rome and can go FAST on her day.

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