World class Tancock joy

World championship triple bronze medallist Liam Tancock became the fastest man in the world so far this year over 50m backstroke when he won his semi-final in 24.86seconds at the ASA National Championships in Sheffield.

The Loughborough student produced three world-class performances at Ponds Forge with a heat swim of 25.12secs before his effort in the semi to progress to the final which he won in 24.96 ahead of Matt Clay (25.72) and Gregor Tait, whose time of 25.93 was a new Scottish record.

His effort to reach the final, where he led from start to finish, was just 0.02secs outside his own British record and would have seen him win at this year's World Championships in Melbourne where the 22-year-old claimed bronze medals in both the 50m and 100m.