Hanlon MAKING WAVES

The talented teen had set a new personal best in the 50m Breaststroke with further swims in the 200m Breaststroke (Wednesday) and 100m Breaststroke (Sunday) to follow.

Having qualified for the final after a fifth place in the mornign heat Kara was back in the water on Tuesday evening where she touched the wall sixth after a time of 32.48. There was very little between the girls with third placed Rachel Wilson clocking a time of 32.16 - showing the margins between elite swimmers at this level is literally within the hundredths of a second range.

“I did the exact same time as I did in the morning so I wasn’t any slower which was good but I went into the final fifth and came out sixth so it was a little disappointing to lose a place,” Kara told the Gazette from the British Championships in Sheffield.

“But I don’t swim 50m any more. I was ok with it as 50m isn’t my main event these days. I’ve been working more on the longer distances lately so to swim a 32.4 - which is a new PB - isn’t that bad.

“The final went very similarly to the morning heat but i don’t focus on it but it’s good to get into the pool to compete.”

Kara now swims for Edinburgh University as she combines her studies on the mainland but for now as the British Championships mark the end of the swim season she is looking forward to a well earned rest.

“I’m loving it at Edinburgh,” she beamed, “Things are going well and my training has been really good. But this is the last meet of the season so I hope to round it off well.

“After Sunday I will have some time off, at least three weeks away from swimming completely and some time at home.”

The British Swimming Championships can be viewed via live stream online.