Freya Anderson makes strong start in Tokyo
Over in the pool, Freya Anderson made a strong start to her individual programme, having already appeared in a maiden Olympic final in her debut Games.
The 20-year-old rising star was part of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay that finished fifth and comfortably booked her place in the semi-finals of the 200m freestyle.
Her time of 1:56.96 was good enough for 11th place and now the plan is to build from here after getting a taste of the action in the relays.
She said: “It was alright. It’s good for heat so hopefully I can improve in the semi-final.
“It was a good way to start as a relay and getting my first individual out of the way is pretty good. Hopefully I can get faster in each round.
“These Games have been long time coming but everything feels amazing but also very safe. It’s going well.”
Her teammate Cassie Wild was not as successful in the 100m backstroke, going out at the semi-final stage.
The 20-year-old was always a long shot to get through in one of the most competitive races at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The Olympic record has already fallen four times between the heats and the semi-finals, and Wild’s time of 1:00.20 was only good enough for 14th spot, much to her disappointment.
“I’m a bit gutted. I wanted to go a bit quicker, I knew it was going to be tough to make the final but I wanted to progress from the heat,” she said.
“I’ve just got to move on and focus on the 200m.”
No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise around £36 million each week for good causes including grassroots and elite sport. Discover the positive impact playing the National Lottery has at http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtags: #TNLAthletes #MakeAmazingHappen
