Tostevin, 14, breaks her own Island 100 backstroke record
YOUNG Tatiana Tostevin improved her own island record in the women’s 100m backstroke, which came as a gleaming silver lining following her failure to progress to the semis.
The 14-year old took five-hundredths off her previous mark to set a new record of 1min. 4.90sec. in taking seventh place in heat four of the Gold Coast competition.
‘She had a really nice swim – this is a huge event for a 14-year old, but she has really taken it in her stride,’ said team manager Sara Parfit.
‘Training has gone really well and in the past week it has really come together for her,’ she added.
Just 30 minutes prior, Tostevin had taken second in heat three of the 50m freestyle with a 27.52.
The competitive depth was such that she has not advanced in either event but regardless, Parfit sees a lot of potential in the youngster.
‘We didn’t expect loads this year, but she has still got a lot of growing and maturing to do,’ added Parfit.
Tostevin still has two events ahead of her as she targets tomorrow’s 100m freestyle and Monday’s 50m backstroke heats.
The latter is her favourite event and she looks set to challenge her own island record of 30.23s.
Tostevin was not the only Channel Islander lining up in the 100 backstroke as Jersey’s Gemma Atherley, six years the Guernsey girl’s senior, added a new Jersey Island 100 metre backstroke record to Thursday’s 200 metre freestyle personal best.
The George Washington University scholar clocked a time of 1min. 04.75sec. to register the 18th fastest times from the heats.
Earlier, Miles Munro failed to advance in the men’s 50m butterfly after placing fifth in his heat, but was not too shaken as his focus remains on the freestyle events.
‘Freestyle’s what I train and what I work for and what I’m hoping to do my best performance in,’ he said.
Meanwhile, on the bowls greens Lucy Beere looks as good as out of the women’s singles after losing to Scotland’s Caroline Brown, her second defeat in three matches.
Brown wrapped up the match 21-6 in just 14 ends.
Men’s pairs colleagues Matt Solway and Matt Le Ber will also be heading for an early exit after losing twice more on day two.
They initially went down 16-10 to Malta but bounced back admirably to lead the Australian pair Brett Wilkie and Aaron Wilson 12-4 and then 15-7 with just six ends left.
But under the lights at Broadbeach, the Aussies dug in and won six ends on the bounce, including a double on the last, to win 18-15.
