World Student Games: Huddart's bronze marks overdue breakthrough: First British medal comes on sixth day in women's swimming

GREAT BRITAIN broke their medal duck here when Clare Huddart finished third in the women's 300 metres freestyle swimming race.

There was great relief among the British team at the poolside when Huddart touched the wall in what was a personal best time of 2min 4.05sec.

Huddart is better known for her backstroke and only in the past 12 months has she decided to try the faster event. Now in the second year of a Human Movement course at Leeds Metropolitan University, Huddart competed in the last World Student Games in Sheffield and has been selected to compete in the European championships, also in Sheffield, in two weeks.

Ian Armiger, the British swimming head coach, said of her victory: 'It's the breakthrough the British swimming team and the British team as a whole have been waiting for. She showed great determination to race with the best in the world.'

Elsewhere, Britain's men were convincing in beating Slovakia 3-1 in a quarter-final football tie. Jason Rockett and David Weir were solid at the centre of defence, Rockett even finding time to score. The other goals came from Forbes Johnston and Peter Leebrook. Great Britain go on to play the Czech Republic today in the semi-finals.