KATY VENTERS produced a great performance at the British Gas Swimming Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.
The Huddersfield teenager, who won gold and bronze medals at the Youth Commonwealth Games, reached her first senior final after personal best swims in the heats and semi-finals of the 100m backstroke.
The Borough of Kirklees star set a new county record in the process and, in the final, Katy improved her time again to clock 1-03.51 to finish an impressive sixth.
This has given her lots of confidence for her No1 event, the 200m backstroke which is today.
Mathew Marshall was unlucky not to make the semi-finals of the 200m butterfly after improving his entry time by almost three seconds to record 2-05.96.
Meanwhile, Jo Jackson added a Commonwealth record to the world record she set earlier this week when she won the 200m freestyle.
Jackson has had a superb week and although she had entered the competition as the world’s fastest over 400m freestyle this week, her performance in setting a new world record on Monday surpassed all expectations.
The 22-year-old made an immediate return to the pool as she started her pursuit of the 200m freestyle title and was narrowly outside her own national record in qualifying fastest ahead of double Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey.
The pair were clear favourites to fill the top two places after Rebecca Adlington pulled out to concentrate on the 800m.
