Corben smashes world record

The 45-year-old Fareham Nomads swimmer excelled in the 200m backstroke race.

Her new time of 2min 25.12sec was comfortably faster than the British and European record she set at the same competition 12 months ago.

Corben also just missed out on breaking her own British record in the 100m backstroke, with a time of 1.09.54, missing the mark by only 0.15 of a second.

However, she was in record-breaking form again in the 50m backstroke with a time of 33.32 lowering the previous British best.

Corben believes there will be more to come now and is targeting success in the European Championships at the London Aquatic Centre, in May.

She said: ‘I absolutely love being back at Fareham Nomads and truly believe head coach Stewart Crowe and assistant coach John Molyneaux can coach me to be even faster.

‘I have to thank my husband Tony for being so supportive, I couldn’t manage without him.

‘It’s back to hard work now to focus on the Europeans.’

Stewart Crowe, head coach at Fareham Nomads, revealed the new world best was Corben’s big target.

And he feels she could go even quicker in London in May.

He said: ‘The setting of a world record was the main target for the European Championships at the London Aquatic Centre in May.

‘She can now prepare for these Championships with even more belief that she can go even faster.’

Corben trains with the club’s new top squad as well as the newly-formed masters squad.

She will be competing at the County Championships this weekend against swimmers many years younger.

Crowe added: ‘I would not bet against her breaking her own record, such is her talent and determination.’

As well as Corben, the club also had Paul Rowan, Tony Corben, Noemie Peignon, Laura Molyneaux and Claire Tagg competing at the South East Region Masters Championships.

Peignon and Molyneaux were also in record breaking form as they showed their quality.

There was a new a South East Regional record for Peignon in the 200m butterfly, recording a time of 2.41.03.

She also collected her second gold of the meet with a time of 29.61 in the 50m freestyle.

Molyneaux another swimmer recently returned to the sport after a very successful time as an Age Group swimmer won gold in the 200m individual medley in a South East Regional Record time of 2.36.66 and silver in the 100m butterfly in 1.12.49.

Claire Tagg also chipped in with a medal winning performance, snatching Bronze in the 200m individual medley with 3.12.96 and a fourth place in the 200m breaststroke in 3.22.47.

The final medal from the group of five swimmers came from Tony Corben in the 200m butterfly in a time of 3.22.36, together with a fifth place in the 400m freestyle in 5.36.89.

Paul Rowan finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke in 1.28.71 and recorded a very credible time of 30.99 in the 50m freestyle.