IAN POWELL stripped more than a third of a second off his own island long-course record in winning the 100m backstroke final at the Manchester Open Meet.

The time of 58.36sec., set in the United States, had stood for five years and going under it pleased Powell no end with both the Nationals and the NatWest Island Games looming.

His new island mark stands at 58.02.

‘I hadn’t done a 100 back for quite a while,’ said Powell (pictured) from his north of England base. ‘It was good to get a bit of race practice in.’

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