IAN POWELL came within a finger-touch of winning his second national swimming title in three days at Sheffield last night, but his consolation was another new island record. ‘I gave it everything,’ said the Guernseyman shortly after the 100m backstroke final he qualified for as the quickest in the field.

Powell led nearly all the way but Paul Turner of Maxwell SC came through strongly and won in 58.84sec. to Powell’s new island long-course best of 59.09.

‘As far as I’m concerned Ian paced it well,’ said his Barracudas coach, Alison Frankland.

The swimmer himself said he could have done no more.

‘There’s nothing that went wrong. There’s kind of nothing to point out,’ he said after an event which he regards as secondary to his favoured 200 backstroke.

‘I knew I had a decent chance of winning it and gave it all I had.

‘He’s a bit of an unknown [Turner] really and had a really good swim.’

Frankland was quick to point out that as Powell had come into the championships ranked third for the 100 back, he had improved on his expected podium position.

‘The 200 was the important one to him,’ she said.

‘He has not had the success at 100 as he has had at 200 – so everything else was a bonus after his 200 win.’

Tom Hollingsworth and Ben Lowndes were also in action on the last day of the championships at the Pond’s Forge 50m pool.

Hollingsworth posted a 2-19.39 in the 15/16 years 200m individual medley.

Lowndes was not at his best in the 17/18 years 200m individual medley and failed to make it out of the heats with a time of 2-21.13.