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Silver lining for Keri-Anne in marathon swim

23/ 8/2008

THEY say every cloud has a silver lining, and this certainly proved the case for Keri-Anne Payne in the Beijing Olympics.

The former Aquabears swimmer, who lives in Heywood, was well out of the reckoning in the 200m and 400m individual medley events.

But she excelled in the 10,000m open water swim to win a silver medal.

Keri-Anne and her GB team-mate Cassie Patten, who won bronze, led from the gun until the last few metres when they were overtaken by Russian Larisa Ilchenko.

Ilchenko timed 1 hour 59 mins 27.77 seconds, with Keri-Anne posting 1 hour 59 mins 29.2 seconds.

It was a superb swim, especially as the British girls later claimed that other swimmers had been grabbing their ankles as they tried to extend their lead.

Keri-Anne, who is now with the Stockport Metro club, said of her stroke-for-stroke swim with Patten: "We didn’t talk at all out there. We’re best friends, we train together, and we just kind of knew when to kick at the right time.

Keri-Anne is the second swimmer from Heywood to achieve international fame.

Christine Gaskell, then with Rochdale Swimming Club, won a Commonwealth Games gold in New Zealand in the 1970s.

ROYTON-based Points bronze medallist Chris Newton flew back to Manchester on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old, who has won silver and bronze medals at the last two Olympics, took third place in the points race over 160 laps.

Newton has bagged 11 medals at major championships and won world and Commonwealth titles.

But he won’t have long to rest on his laurels as he is one of the riders confirmed for next month’s National Track Championships at Sportcity.

Local cycling fans will know Newton well, as he has won the Rochdale Town Centre Grand Prix in the last two years.

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