Swimming: Parry breaks record to take silver

Stephen Parry, a butterfly specialist, displayed his versatility and even shocked himself when he set a national record to finish second in the 200 metres backstroke and capture Britain's first medal of the European Short Course Championships here yesterday.

"I'm surprised to have made the final at all," Parry said. "I swim the 200m backstroke really only for fun."

The Liverpudlian, who took the 200m butterfly silver at the Commonwealth Games, was pipped yesterday by Iceland's Orn Arnarson, but shaved 0.16sec off the British record Gregor Tait set at last year's championships in Antwerp.

Hopes are high for more British medals today as James Hickman (100m butterfly), Alison Sheppard (100m freestyle) and Sarah Price (100m backstroke) reached their respective finals, Hickman and Sheppard as the fastest qualifiers.