Great Britain's relay teams win gold on last day of the European Championships
By Claire Corkery
Last Updated: 22/05/16 8:09pm
Great Britain’s swimming team racked up a total of seven gold medals at the European Swimming Championships after the relay teams won the last two events held at the London Aquatics Centre.
The British team won 22 medals in total, the most overall, but Hungary, who won 19 medals, finished first in the table due to their 10 golds.
It was an impressive day for British swimming as Great Britain won five medals in the final session of the Championships.
Great Britain's relay teams won both the women's and the men's 4x100m medley relays.
Fran Halsall won silver in the 50m freestyle before joining team-mates Kathleen Dawson, Siobhan-Marie O'Connor and Chloe Tutton to win gold in the relay.
Halsall also won gold on Saturday in the 50m backstroke while team-mate Adam Peaty swam just 0.04 seconds shy of his meet record time to take victory in the men's 50m breastroke.
Peaty joined Chris Walker-Hebborn, James Guy and Douglas Scott to win the men's 4x100m, the final event of the championship.
Peaty and Halsall had combined earlier with Walker-Hebborn and O'Connor in this week's meet to win gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Jazz Carlin won a silver medal for Great Britain in the women's 400m freestyle, while Ben Proud delivered Britain's eighth bronze medal in the men's 50m freestyle earlier on in the day.
Walker-Hebborn, who led the men's relay team, revealed he was inspired by the performance of the British women moments earlier.
"Definitely, we were sat in the room watching the race and when you see GB win like that, especially by that much, it definitely gives you that little bit extra," he told the BBC.
"We didn't necessarily need it but we felt good going into that."
The British team's attention now turns to the Rio Olympics and Halsall's performance in London shows she is in top condition to possibly take a maiden medal at the Games.
"This relay tonight [Sunday], we had a great opportunity," she said.
"The Danish decided not to swim in it so it opened the door up to give it a good shot. Credit to the girls they all put in a good leg.
"For me, all I had to do was make sure I hit the wall first again - I feel like I've got an easy ride on these relays because that's all I have to do!
"This summer, the Olympics, I'm looking forward to it now."
