Sophie Taylor
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1996-02-02) 2 February 1996
Sheffield, England
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm) (2014)[1]
Weight136 lb (62 kg) (2014)[1]
Sport
ClubLondon Aquatic Centre
Coached byLisa Bates
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place2014 Berlin4×100 m medley
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2014 Glasgow100 m breaststroke
Silver medal – second place2014 Glasgow4×100 m medley

Sophie Taylor (born 2 February 1996) is a former international swimmer who swam breaststroke. She won a gold medal for England in the women's 100 metres breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games.[1]

Personal life

Sophie Taylor was born on 2 February 1996 in Sheffield, Yorkshire.[1] She lived in Harrogate, Yorkshire in 2014.[2]

Swimming career

"After, in my eyes, a disappointing week, I just went for it and hoped that I could get a medal, even if it was a bronze or silver, I just wanted a medal, so I saw the end of sight and I said to myself that I would give it my all and I found a sudden burst of energy. It meant everything after just missing out on a medal in the 50 and not even making the final in the 200, I knew that I had to make a comeback and to get my mind refocused and positive again and so to come off with a gold and a British record means a lot to me".

Sky Sports quoting Taylor[2]

Taylor trains at the London Aquatics Centre, where she is coached by Lisa Bates.[3]

At the Berlin International Swim Meet when Taylor 14 years old, (in 2010) she swam a personal best in the 100 metres breaststroke, and finished in third place to "show her potential".[3] In 2012, her first domestic "breakthrough" was at the London held 2012 British Gas Swimming Championships, where she finished fourth.[3] She soon performed at an international level, at the 2012 European Junior Swimming Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. This was Taylor's first European Junior Swimming Championships, but she ended with a silver medal and a bronze medal, from the 50 metres breaststroke and the 200 metres breaststroke respectively.[3] Taylor finished in third place in the 50 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres breaststroke in 2013 at the British Gas Swimming Championships.[3] Later in the year, at the 2013 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, she won another bronze, this time in the 200 metres breaststroke, but coupled with two silver medals in the 4 × 100 m Medley Relay, and the 100 metres breaststroke.[3]

On 28 July 2014, Taylor won the women's 100 metres breaststroke at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland with a time of 1 minute and 06.35 seconds, a "massive British record".[4] She broke the previous record, which she had set herself.[2] For much of the race Taylor was just behind leader Alia Atkinson, but a sprint in the last half length meant that Taylor finished first, Australian Lorna Tonks finished second, 0.99 seconds behind, and Jamaican Atkinson third, 1.79 seconds behind Taylor.[4][5]

On 17 July 2015[6] Taylor announced she was taking a break from competitive swimming, and withdrew from all events at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. Taylor has not competed domestically or internationally since that date, and indicated she has retired from elite competition.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sophie Taylor". Commonwealth Games 2014. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Commonwealth Games: Teenager Sophie Taylor grabs 100 metres breaststroke gold". Sky Sports. Sky. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sophie Taylor". swimming.org. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Glasgow 2014: Sophie Taylor wins breaststroke gold". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Women's 100m Breaststroke Final". Commonwealth Games 2014. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Taylor pulls out of World Championships.
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