Swimmers net GOLD at Euro championships
Medi Harris (right) celebrates gold in the women’s 200m backstroke with team mate Kate Shanahan (left) taking silver at the European Short Course Championships in Romania.
LOUGHBOROUGH swimmers struck multiple gold at the European Short Course Championships in Romania helping Team GB to top the overall medal table.
It was first time Team GB had been involved at a European Short Course Championships since 2019 and it was Loughborough-based ace Abbie Wood who got the ball rolling on the opening night and the medals continued to add up.
She won gold in the 400m individual medley with Loughborough Performance Centre teammate Freya Colbert taking the silver medal in an impressive GB 1-2.
Wood said: “That’s my first senior international individual title, so I can’t be mad at that at all! It’s getting my week off to a good start as well.”
In the Women’s 4x50m Freestyle Relay, the quartet of Anna Hopkin, Freya Anderson, Lucy Hope and Medi Harris teamed up across both heat and final to get their place on the podium with a brilliant bronze.
In the final action of the first evening session, the foursome of Ben Proud, Matt Richards and Loughborough duo Alex Cohoon and Lewis Burras combined in devastating fashion to secure the top step of the Otopeni podium in the mens 4x50m freestyle relay.
On day three, Medi Harris secured her maiden senior individual international title in the women’s 200m backstroke, with teammate Katie Shanahan second as Team GB completed another 1-2 finish.
Freya Colbert (left) and Abbie Wood (right) on the podium after Wood’s victory in the women’s 400m individual medley at the European Short Course Championships in Romania .
Harris said: “I was really nervous as I haven’t done this event in a long time. It’s exciting to think what could be to come in the 200m back for GB.
“I’ve recently moved to Loughborough with Dave Hemmings so I’m really thankful for him and that’s the main goal for this year is to build my confidence and he definitely has so I’m very thankful.”
To round out the day’s action, there was yet more relay success for Britain, as Kathleen Dawson, Imogen Clark, Keanna MacInnes and Loughborough’s Anna Hopkin combined to pick up Women’s 4x50m Medley Relay bronze - and in a new British record time too.
On day four, in the Women’s 100m Freestyle, Loughborough’s Anna Hopkin had to settle for silver, missing out on gold in the touch after a thrilling finish France’s Beryl Gastaldello, Freya Anderson taking bronze.
On day five, Abbie Wood doubled her golden tally for the meet before GB’s Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay quartet of Ben Proud, Lewis Burras, Anna Hopkin and Freya Anderson delivered a British and Championship record to claim the title.
This all came after Medi Harris opened the evening with silver in the Women’s 100m Backstroke.
The final night of competition saw a bronze mdeal for Freya Colbert in the women’s 200m freestyle and silver for Luke Greenbank in the 200m backstroke in British record time of 1:48.53 as Team GB finished top of the competition’s medal table for the first time. final with with