Dawson strikes European gold in double time
Fife swimmer won the women’s 100 metres backstroke final – then won it again when the race was re-run because of a starting mechanism malfunction
Under the spotlights of Budapest, Kathleen Dawson’s mental and physical gifts were placed under inhumane examination at the European Swimming Championships last night. Both robustly passed their tests. With honours and distinction.
The 23-year-old from Kirkcaldy was victorious in the women’s 100 metres backstroke final, not once but twice. Triumphant in the initial staging of the race in a championship and Scottish record of 58.18 seconds, the result was rendered void when it was adjudged there had been a malfunction to the starting equipment in the lane of Sweden’s Louise Hansson.
"That’s the most painful race I’ve done so far,” conceded Dawson, who was just shy of surpassing Gemma Spofforth’s European record of 58.12. Excavating her reserves and with her coach Steve Tigg preaching calm, she fired a warning shot towards her Olympic rivals by securing her first major title, clocking 58.49 secs second time around.
“Iwasecstaticwheniwonthe first one in 58.1,” she revealed. “I was half-way through my swim down when I was told we’d have to re-race it. I was disappointed in the moment. I dropped my hands and went down to my knees. But Steve straight away said: ‘come on, you did this last night.’ And sure enough, I was able to go in, go through the process … and I’m so impressed with myself.” It is unclear if even
her Scottish record will now count. Gold soothed any pain.
“The championship record got taken away from me. But as soon as I had that next chance to be able to get that gold again, I knew that I was going to be number one and stood on top of the podium,” said Dawson. Her training partner at Stirling University Cassie Wild was fifth in both editions of this unusual denouement.
Form now does not, of course, guarantee Dawson a
medal in Tokyo. It is likely the Fifer will need to bust below 57 seconds to stand on the podium on July 27. Now with two golds and a silver this week, she senses her trajectory has not reached its potential apex.
“I’m not exactly tapered coming in. I rested a wee bit. Hopefully in the next taper going into the Olympics, it will sharpen it all up.” Having battled back from a horrific knee injury, she was entitled to savour this reward. “It just
proves to myself and others that Scottish and British swimming is up there with the rest of the world. I’m so proud of what I’ve done but hopefully the journey’s not done yet.”
Molly Renshaw added to a fine night for the British women in the 200m breaststroke final with victory in 2:21.34. And Lucy Hope all but guaranteed she will be among the late additions to the Olympic squad when the Borderer linked up with Tam van
Selm, Holly Hibbott and Freya Anderson to triumph in the women’s 4x200 freestyle relay.
It delivered a second gold for the 23-year-old following her Monday win in the 4x100, with Scottish prospect Emma Russell also acquiring a medal for her role in the morning heats.
For the third time in these championships, Duncan Scott was parading silver with the 24-year-old ceding his European 200m freestyle crown to Russia’s Martin Malyutin.