Press Release

Britian look string on final day

Monday, August 4 2008

The British Juniors competing in Belgrade added another seven medals to their already impressive medal haul, taking their total to 18 medals, on the final day of the European Junior Championships

Roberto Pavoni shaved almost three second off the British Age Group record when he swam to an impressive victory in the boy's 400m Individual Medley.

Pavoni was battling against fellow Brit Xavier Mohammed for the gold medal in this event and it was Mohammed that had a better start as he led the race until the final 50m where Pavoni fought back and touched first. Pavoni finished in a time of 4:19.95 to seal the gold medal and the new record.

Mohammed touched in 4:20.74 to take the silver medal and his second medal of the competition. Bronze went to Jan David Schepers in a time of 4:22.87.

The boy's 200m Freestyle was the next gold medal performance for the British squad as Robert Bale claimed a new personal best time.

Bale put himself in the lead and swam an excellently timed race against some tough competition and as he finished in 1:49.05 he won the gold medal - his first individual medal of the competition.

The silver went to Russia's Artem Lobuzov in 1:48.29 with the bronze medal going to Alex Di Giorgio (Italy) in 1:49.33.

The third gold medal of the day went to the boys 4x100m Medley relay team. Swimming in the final event of the competition the boys, Christopher Walker-Hebborn, James Doola, Daniel Silwinski and Robert Bale, claimed a new Championship record as they finished with a two second lead.

Bale brought the boys team home with a time of 3:39.75 to take the gold medal and prove the British squad's strength in relays.

Russia won the silver medal in a time of 3:41 and Italy took the bronze in 3:43.10.

Sophie Allen took her first individual medal of the competition when she won silver in the 200m Individual Medley.

Allen was in third place until the final 50m where she showed good strength to pull it back and take the silver medal in a time of 2:16.40.

Gold was won by Russia's Viktoriya Andreeva in 2:16.09 and bronze went to Alexandra Musienko (Russia) in 2:17.24.

James Doolan swam to a new British Age Group record in the boys 100m Butterfly as he claimed his silver medal.

Doolan finished just half a second behind Serbian Ivan Lendjer who took the Championship record in 52.53. Doolan touched in 53.16 to take the silver and shave half a second off the 18-year-old Age Group record.

The bronze went to Alex Garcia Villaecija in a time of 54.28.

The boy's 100m Breaststroke saw Daniel Sliwinski take the bronze medal just behind Germany's Marco Koch.

Sliwinski swam just outside of his personal best as he touched in a time of 1:02.45. Caba Siladji took the gold in a time of 1:01.91 and Koch took silver in 1:01.98.