Frustration for Orpington swimmer after just missing out on medal

ORPINGTON swimmer Luke Gunning has vowed to bounce back from his disappointment at the European Youth Olympic Festival after returning home without a medal.

Gunning, a butterfly specialist, had to settle for two fourth-place finishes in the boys and mixed medley relays as his best results in Utrecht in the Netherlands.

His outings in both the 100m and 200m events did not quite go to plan as he finished sixth in the shorter distance and ninth, just missing out on the final, in the longer one.

Gunning’s week was rounded off by a strong showing in the boys medley relay on the final day but even then it was only fourth that they could manage.

Of the 31 medals that Team GB won at the Festival, 14 of them came in the pool and Gunning admitted that he had much to work on after his experiences in the Netherlands.

“It is gutting to come fourth, it’s always the hardest position to finish but it’s just one of those things,” he said.

“You have to take some consolation from the fact you are the fourth strongest in Europe but you still we want to be first.

“Hopefully in a couple of years time we will be number one so it is up to us and myself to keep working and training hard.

“Individually the week was OK, I got some personal bests but I was disappointed by my 200m, I eased up in my semi-final because I thought I was comfortably going to qualify.

“But I did not expect it to be such a slow time so I ended up missing out on the final which was really disappointing. These things happen and I have to make sure that I learn from them moving forward.”

Meanwhile, Beckenham tennis player Thomas Wright is the first to admit his Team GB debut did not go quite to plan at the Festival but he is adamant it will make him a much better player.

The 14-year-old went out in the second round of the singles competition in Utrecht, taught something of a lesson by the No.1 seed from Hungary Mate Valkusz in a 6-0, 6-1 defeat.

But Wright re-grouped for the doubles competition, teaming up with Harry Simpson to come agonisingly close to a medal match as they lost out to Estonian brothers, and eventual silver medallists, Kristofer and Mattias Siimar on a Champions tie-break in the quarter-finals.

And while Wright conceded missing out on a medal was a bitter pill to swallow, the Langley Park School for Boys pupil insisted he had learned a great deal from the experience.

“The last match was tough, the two boys we played were very experienced in doubles,” he said.

“We got off to a good start and took the first set, which was tight but in the end they played the big points better and edged us out.

“They kept a good level throughout the match but we have to be proud of what we did. I went to see what the level is like and I certainly found that out.”

The British Olympic Association prepares and leads British athletes at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games.

It works in partnership with sport National Governing Bodies to enhance Olympic success and is responsible for championing the Olympic values.

For more information, visit teamgb.com

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