Gandy crashes out
Great Britain's Ellen Gandy failed to make it past the 200 metres butterfly medal heats.
Last Updated: 31/07/12 12:24pm
Britain's Ellen Gandy failed to live up to her billing as a favourite for a 200 metres butterfly medal after crashing out in the heats on Tuesday morning.
The 20-year-old made her breakthrough on the global stage last year when she won silver at the World Championships in Shanghai.
That had followed visits to the rostrum at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games in 2010.
The Melbourne-based swimmer had endured a difficult World Championships in Rome in 2009 which she entered atop the world rankings but finished 15th over 200m and 16th in the shorter race.
Gandy was eighth in the 100m earlier this week but with the 200m her favoured event, she was expected to mount a real challenge.
Struggling
The former Beckenham swimmer was on course to ease through before the final length when she fell behind and was clearly struggling to respond.
Fifth in her heat in two minutes 09.92 seconds, Gandy was 17th overall, one place outside qualification.
She said: "I felt okay at the start but after 100m I felt like I had been hit by a truck.
"I've been feeling fine, no health issues, I just don't know what happened."
There was better news for Gandy's friend Jemma Lowe who made it through in third place in 2mins 07.64secs.
The Swansea ITC swimmer said: "I'm really happy to make it into the next round, it's been pretty hard for me the last few days watching all my team-mates compete.
"I'm used to competing on the first day in the 100m.
"That's the best time I've done in the morning."
Of Gandy, she added: "She made the Olympic final in the 100m and that was brilliant, and she had a fantastic year last year.
"Everyone has ups and downs and I'm sure she gave it her best."
Men's freestyle sprinting in Britain is in a trough at the moment.
Only Adam Brown competed in the 100m freestyle heats on Tuesday and he failed to make it to the semi-finals, finishing in seventh in his heat.
Sluggish
The 23-year-old was part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team that finished eighth in Beijing four years ago but he has not progressed as hoped while the rest of the world has moved on.
Brown said: "It was an all right morning swim for me but a bit sluggish.
"It's been a great experience and im still pretty young. I have the 50m free later and hopefully will try to make the semi-finals in that.
"The atmosphere is brilliant, gives us all a buzz and hopefully next time I will rise to the challenge a bit better."