Canada’s Amber Thomas Wins Second Medal at British International Disability Swimming Championships

SHEFFIELD, England, May 16. AMBER Thomas of Drayton Valley, Alta., earned her second medal in two days on Saturday at the British International Disability Swimming Championships finishing second in the women's 100-metre breaststroke.

Stephanie Bird of Britain won the gold medal with 655 points followed by Thomas at 499 and Sarah Davison of Britain in third at 470. The point system is based on the time in relation to the swimmer's disability category. Thomas opened the competition Friday with a gold medal performance in the 200 individual medley.

Thomas also reached the final in the women's 400-metre individual medley on Saturday placing fourth in the 400 freestyle.

Brittany Gray of Barrie, Ont., posted a fifth place finish in the 100 butterfly clocking 1:21.41 seconds. Like most of the Canadian swimmers, Gray is in the midst of some heavy training as she prepares for the world championship trials set for this summer in Edmonton.

"It was a difficult final for me," said Gray, 19, a first-year human ecology student at the University of Western Ontario in London. "I haven't had a good winter of training and I'm still in the process of getting back into shape. I'm pleased with my progress and I know the speed will come eventually."

Canada's other finalist Hessel Altenburg of Fredericton was disqualified in the men's 100 butterfly. He had originally placed ninth in the 10-man final.

"This has been a great experience," said Altenburg, a political science student at the University of New Brunswick. "It's my first time overseas with the Canadian team and I'm learning a lot of new stuff. The butterfly is my key event. It was disappointing to get disqualified but I know the areas I need to improve."

In B finals, Brianna Nelson of North Vancouver and Laura Jensen of Fort St. John, B.C., were second and fourth in the 50 freestyle, Jenna Skieneh of Windsor, Ont., third in the women's 100 butterfly and Ronald Tang of Toronto was eighth in the 50 freestyle.

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