Rapley revels in his relay bronze medal

Student games

ROB DORSETT

reports from Fukuoka, Japan

British success in the pool at the World Student Games continued here yesterday as the men's 4 x 100m freestyle team of Mark Stevens, Alan Rapley, Nick Osborn and Simon Handley claimed the bronze medal. The success came the day after Joanne Deakins, the women's team captain, earned her second medal of the Games with a bronze in the 200m breaststroke, leaving the team buoyant at matching their medal tally at the Buffalo Games two years ago.

The men's team captain, Alan Rapley, went on the second leg, confident after a personal best in the individual 100m freestyle final on Saturday when he swam the fastest time by a Briton this year, 0.4sec faster than his personal best. Rapley, disappointed not to be selected for the British team competing at the European Championships in Vienna, swam even faster, clocking 50.23sec. The United States were good enough for the relay gold and a new Universiade record.

Britain now have four bronze medals to savour, and a guarantee of at least a bronze in the men's doubles tennis competition. Nick Adams, of London University, and Richard Holden, of Cardiff University, beat the No 1 seeds, Hyung Taik Lee and Yang Il Yoon, of Korea, in straight sets to claim a place in the semi-finals. Sam Smith was pleased with her performance in the women's singles quarter-finals, despite losing in three sets to the No 1 seed Shi-Tin Wang, ranked 50th in the world.

In the men's 1m diving competition, Mark Shipman finished in a remarkable fourth position with a personal best score of 336.42.