The year-old holding off future Olympic champion Britta Steffen to anchor Great Britain to European gold in the 4xm medley relay in Budapest in Finishing fourth in the free in a race won by Steffen in world-record time, Halsall the youngest in the field by five years and racing women up to 14 years her senior. In March the following year at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, and still 16, Halsall anchored the British medley relay in Making her first Olympic free final in Beijing in The simultaneous giggles and tears of happiness after winning free silver at the World Championships — her first individual senior international medal — and the deal she had struck with her mother Diane for a Lhasa Apso dog if she was to win a medal and that she now planned to call Roma.
Her time of Tales of the goldfish she had as a year-old, Inge and Thorpey — named after Inge de Bruijn and Ian Thorpe — and how her mother inadvertently sent them to a watery grave. Or the 25km open water. Being hauled out of the pool to prevent her from fainting at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, the victim of a stomach virus before being led away to be sick by team doctor Ian Gordon.
Gordon guided her through the mixed zone, where she was propped up shivering, pale and weak, the press confronted by the health risks the athletes were facing because of the suspect quality of water. Halsall had no memory of meeting the media that night nor of standing on the podium, swaying and close to collapse.
Being the sole British medallist in the pool at the worlds in Barcelona where she won bronze in the 50 free. The medal rush of where double gold and silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were followed by three titles among five medals at the European Championships in Berlin.
So too was there a world-record time in the 4xm mixed medley relay although it was never ratified because of an admin mix-up. Anchoring the British 4xm mixed medley relay to gold in There was desolation and bewilderment after she finished fifth and sixth in the 50 and free at the Olympics in London.
A home Games that had promised so much magic ended with Halsall in tears, the hurt of knowing what she had worked for for so long had not come to fruition lingering for a long time.
Four years later in Rio and Halsall was fourth in the 50m free, 0. Winning bronze there was Aliaksandra Herasimenia , the Belarus swimmer who tested positive for steroid norandrosterone in before returning after a two-year ban. Halsall initially struggled with the transition from her year career as a professional swimmer, which was more a hobby than a job, to the world of work.
Wilkin admits their marriage was strained last year as the Wolfpack played several blocks of home games in Canada. Halsall and Wilkin, by their own admission, enjoy the finer things in life and last year travelled to Peru just to visit a certain restaurant. Nobody knows when the rugby league season will resume and, at 36, former St Helens stalwart Wilkin admits he may even have played his last game.
Log In. Contact us Sign up for newsletters. Log In Register now My account. Halsall qualified for her third Olympics at the British Championships in April. A month later and in heavy training, Halsall competed at the European Championships in London, defending her 50 backstroke title as well as golds in meter medley and mixed medley relays.
In her other events, she added a silver in 50 meter freestyle and bronze in 50 meter butterfly. Francesca Halsall View. Femke Heemskerk ». Don't want to miss anything? Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates! Want to take your swimfandom to the next level?
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