Israel ready for Euro test

SWIMMING Israel are sending 15 athletes to next week’s European Swimming Championships in Berlin.

Jonatan Kopelev and Guy Barnea offer the best medal hopes in the 50m backstroke, along with Yaakov Tomarkin, Guy Nevo and Amit Ivri.

Israel claimed five medals two years ago in Hungary, but national coach Leonid Kaufmann says that many of Europe’s best swimmers “stayed away to save themselves for the Olympics”.

Meanwhile, Adam Warner finished ninth at the British Gas National Open Water Championships in Sheffield.

The Team Maccabi GB swimmer will take a break before the Eton Long swim 10k on September 24.