British gold boosts Lucy Hope ahead of Commonwealth Games

The women’s team from the university came into the event fresh from success at the BUCS Long Course Championships and Hope seemed to take confidence from that.

The 21-year-old won the women’s 50m backstroke in a time of 28.18, ahead of University of Stirling’s Kathleen Dawson.

Hope, who will soon be part of Team Scotland on Australia’s Gold Coast, said: “I came into this event feeling really good after doing so well at BUCS where our team won the female title. I’m looking to move my races forward now and put them together technically in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games. Training is going well and I just have to keep working hard in the coming weeks.”

Her clubmate Kathryn Greenslade, part of Team Wales for the Commonwealth Games, posted 1:58.53 to win the women’s 200m freestyle final.

“It can be hard racing when you are still training hard for a big event like the Commonwealths, but I have been thinking a lot about tactics recently and tweaks I can make to my racing and it seemed to go well in this one,” she said. “It is really good having an event like this just a month before the Commonwealths and it gives me and my coach plenty to work on.”

A third University of Edinburgh female, Tain Bruce, broke her own Scottish record in the women’s 100m butterfly final to claim a bronze medal. Bruce, 19, swam 58.92 to make sure of a medal while Heart of Midlothian’s 16-year-old Keanna MacInnes, who is heading to the Commonwealth Games, won the ‘B’ final.

Englishman David Cumberlidge of the University of Edinburgh took silver in the men’s 100m freestyle final.

Olympian James Guy of Bath University was the class athlete in the men’s 200m butterfly field, winning in a time of 1:58.05.

Warrender Baths teenager Archie Goodburn, 17, finished seventh in that race, a great result for a swimmer on the up.