Swimming: Rolph recovers with second record

SUE ROLPH bounced back from her defeat by Alison Sheppard in the 50 metres freestyle 24 hours earlier to set a British record for the 200m medley at the National Championships in Sheffield yesterday.

The 21-year-old Commonwealth champion cut 0.77sec off her previous mark, clocking 2min 14.62sec, to round off her build-up to the forthcoming European Championships with two national records. The first arrived in the 100m freestyle.

The Commonwealth 200m backstroke champion, Katy Sexton, set a British record of 29.94sec for the 50m backstroke, slicing 0.06sec off the old mark held by Kathy Osher, which had stood for six years.

With her victory Sexton completed a backstroke double after she took the 100m on the previous day to clinch her place in the team for the European Championships in Istanbul.

Adam Whitehead, the 19-year-old Coventry swimmer, completed a hat-trick of national breaststroke titles when he added the 200m crown in 2:15.06 to his 50m and 100m golds.

The European 200m title holder, Paul Palmer, rounded off his preparation for the European Championships by adding the 400m freestyle title to the 200m crown he had collected earlier in the championships.

Martin Harris, the 30-year-old who swims for the Tower Hamlets, collected his sixth national 100m backstroke title in 55.63sec after setting a British record for the 50m on Saturday.

Results, Digest, page 9