Former Linton Village College pupil Angharad Evans from Little Abington, near Haverhill, pipped to medal in 100m breaststroke final at Paris 2024 Olympic Games
West Suffolk Swimming Club member Angharad Evans was pipped to an Olympic medal as she came sixth in the 100m breaststroke final tonight.
The 21-year-old from Little Abington, near Haverhill, who qualified with a stunning semi-final showing on Sunday, finished 0.26s behind third-placed Mona McSharry of Ireland with a time of 1:05.85.
Evans, a former Linton Village College pupil, reached the halfway mark in third place after she made a bright start to the event, but McSharry, Tang Qianting of China and South Africa’s Tatjana Smith took the places on the podium.
“It was my first year swimming internationally with the senior team so I felt a lot of pressure but I controlled it,” said Evans, speaking to the BBC after the final.
“I swam the race a little bit differently, went out a bit faster because yesterday me and my coach spoke about going out a bit too slowly, but this was just an experience for me and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”
The interviewer referenced Evans’ swim in June that earned her a new British record, and the University of Stirling swimmer said: “I know, that’s so exciting, first woman in GB to do it (swim 100m breaststroke in under 66s), so that really means a lot to me.”
Evans admitted, following a swim down, that her attentions now turn to the women’s 4x100m relay, which takes place on Saturday (10am BST).
Speaking on Evans’ performance in the final, Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington said: “It was a fantastic swim, I thought she was going to get a medal there. I got really excited.
“She had five months out of the sport and I think that sometimes happens when you fall out of love with it, and she came back to the UK, she’s obviously found herself at a fantastic programme up in Stirling.
“It was hard with the lane order because I think she just naturally had to take it out a little bit harder just because you don’t want to be too far left behind, but into the last five meters it was so close.”
“She looked good. Tang (Qianting) took it out and she was on her shoulder, and she really lead the way and they all clawed her back in, but she really did herself proud there I think.
Six-time world champion Mark Foster said: “Great swims, she went 1:05.5 earlier in year, but to come out here, make an Olympic final, go 1:05.80, and I know we don’t want to talk about it being a slow pool, but it’s not a fast pool, so that is as good as she’s ever been.
“To do it under pressure in an Olympic final is brilliant.”
