Swimming: British record falls, but Jamieson has higher aim

Sports writer

Wednesday 1 August 2012

MICHAEL JAMIESON twice broke the British record yesterday, channelling the spirit of Scotland's 1976 Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, David Wilkie, to power into tonight's final as the fastest qualifier but the day will belong to Michael Phelps, who became the most successful Olympian of all time – and he still has three events to complete.

Michael Jamieson

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Doug Gillon

Jamieson, 24, from Glasgow, finished in 2min 08.20sec, the eighth fastest time ever, and just 0.89 outside the world record. He believes he can go faster, and that he will have to to win a medal. "I'm swimming with confidence, and in front of a crowd like this, it makes it easier to swim fast," he said. "I could hear them urging me home in the last 50."

He will have team-mate Andrew Willis in the next lane tonight. The Englishman was third fastest on 2:08.47. "Hopefully myself and Andrew can shave some more time off. I'd like to think there's more left. There will have to be to make sure I'm in among the medals. I'm going to have to find some more. The crowd is just amazing. They're making such a difference, and hopefully they can get behind us again."He has 0.12 to spare over his nearest rival, Hungarian Daniel Gyurta, but the main threat will surely be the Japanese, Kosuke Katajima, aiming for an historic third successive gold in this event. He swam 2:08.00, the year's fastest time, to win his national championships.He won't contemplate the thought that the fastest semi-finalist usually wins gold? "There's a long way to go . . . I was pretty happy with the first swim (2:08.98) but knew I would have to improve to get into the final. There's another 24 hours before I swim, and there are some massive names in that final, but I'm swimming well."Can he emulate Wilkie, whose world best remained the Scottish record for 25 years? "Who knows?" he said. "I'll just look to improve on the time I did tonight. There a lot of big hitters, guys more accomplished than me at this level. I'll give them the respect they deserve, but I'm not scared of racing anyone this week. I'm feeling strong."I've met David Wilkie a couple of times, and he's a name in the record books. Anyone would like to emulate what he has done."Jamieson trains in Bath. He swam almost seven seconds faster than Wilkie, who set a world best to take the 1976 title in Montreal with 2:15.11 – and was the first man to wear integrated cap and goggles. Jamieson's parents and sister were there. "So were the rest of the family, mates from Glasgow, and a bunch of guys I train with," he said. "It's terrific they're here."His mum was a swimmer; his father, Michael, played football for Alloa Athletic, Stenhousemuir and Hearts.Michael Phelps won gold and silver, surpassing gymnast Larysa Latynina's Olympic record medal haul. He took gold in the men's 4 x 200m freestyle, the 15th of his career, but earlier, just when it seemed he would claim the 200m butterfly title, having led from the start, he was edged out by Chad le Clos. The Frenchman came from third at the final turn, snatching victory in the final few feet, by five hundredths of a second, in 1:52.96. "I know Chad, and he is a hard worker, and really talented. I can't be too upset. But it's my last one [individual race] and it would have been nice to have won," Phelps said. "I've been in a huddle with my team-mates, as they made this possible. I told them to give me as big a lead as possible."The US win was their fourth in five Olympics. The British squad, led off by Robbie Renwick, finished sixth. The Aberdeen man led them in fifth, with the fastest leg by well over a second.Scotland's Caitlin McClatchey rounded off her individual Olympic career with a battling seventh in a heavily loaded 200m freestyle final. The 400m freestyle silver medallist, Alison Schmitt, upgraded to gold in an Olympic record of 1:53.61, reversing the 400 order, with Camile Muffat of France second. The Italian world record-holder, defending Olympic champion and double world champion Federica Pellegrini, was fifth."I'm really pleased," said McClatchey who is intent on a political career, and plans to move to Edinburgh to further it. That may or may not compromise 2014 ambitions. "I tried to enjoy myself and was lifted by the crowd again. It would be a fantastic if we could get to the relay final tomorrow. My focus is on that now.I don't know if this is my last individual. Glasgow is on the horizon, so I don't know. I'll have to see if I can do another two years of hard training. I wouldn't do it unless I knew I could do something good. I'd like to go to Glasgow, if not I'll concentrate on my political career."McClatchy, who in 2006 won double Commonwealth gold, added: "I don't know if I could go another four years. I'd be 30 then, it's quite old for a swimmer."Inverurie's Hannah Miley was seventh in the 200m individual medley, won by the 16-year-old Chinese Ye Shiwen, who generated further doping innuendo with her victory in 2:07.57. A torrent of suspicion engulfed her 400m medley winUS coach John Leonard said Ye's performances were "unbelievable and disturbing" and did not "add up". He suggested that something unbelievable in the sport "more often than not turned out to be some kind of cheating that was involved, doping in most cases."Ye responded: "I wouldn't use any banned drugs . . . the Chinese team has always had a firm policy, anti-doping."

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Swimming: British record falls, but Jamieson has higher aim

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