Supreme teen Clark wins national crown

Morton's Imogen Clark won her first senior national long course title in a new record time at the British Swimming Championships.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Apr 2017, 16:29 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 19:01 BST

The 17-year-old, who swims for Loughborough having come through the Derbyshire Institute of Sport and Derventio eXcel programmes, claimed the 50m breaststroke title, beating fellow ICON athlete Sarah Vasey, 20, from Allestree into second place.

In a show of all-out power at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, Clark won the day by just 0.09 seconds, touching the wall in 30.21 to Vasey’s 30.30, well ahead of third-placed Corrie Scott in 31.00.

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The new British record time means the teenager now hold the national 50m bests over both the long and short course versions of the distance.

It was a role reversal from the heats, where Vasey had set the best qualifying time, clocking 30.57 to Clark’s 30.71.

Both swimmers will hope to add to their successes when they go up against each other again in the 100m breaststroke.

And the success for the ICON programme did not end there, with another medal - a bronze - coming courtesy of Buxton’s Abbie Wood, 18, in the 400 IM in a new personal best time of 4.37.25.