Chantal Gibney further improved on her national 100 metres freestyle record yesterday in the heats of the European Championships in Helsinki. Gibney, who smashed Michelle De Bruin's time of 57.53 seconds with a 57.48 in the US nationals in Seattle in March, went five-hundredths better with 57.43 in the heats. She dropped back in the semi-finals with a 57.46.
Louise Robinson, one of twins from Belfast, reached the semi-finals of the 100 metres breaststroke while swimming in the same heat as her sister, Emma.
Emma, the more fancied of the two to reach the semi-finals, was outside her personal best, but, remarkably, Louise registered Emma's personal best exactly, 1.12.34. Julie Douglas failed to reach the semi-finals in the 100 metres freestyle, clocking 59.94.
Today's main Irish hope is Colin Lowth, who goes in the 200 metres butterfly.
Meanwhile, veteran sprinter Mark Foster broke his British record in the 50 metres butterfly to earn his country's second bronze on the second day of the championships. The 30-year-old University of Bath swimmer clocked 24.02 to clip 0.05 off his previous record set in 1996.
