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Payne and Patten up medal tally

20/ 8/2008

Britain made it five swimming medals in Beijing as Stockport Metro stars Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten claimed silver and bronze in the open water event.

Payne, from Heywood, and Patten, from Cornwall, set the pace throughout the 10000m race, and were only overhauled in the final 750m by Russian world champion Larisa Ilchenko, who beat Payne by just one and a half seconds to claim gold.

Patten held on for third to ensure that after 24 years without a single swimming medal, British women have now collected five in one Games.

Patten revealed she had her feet tugged back by Ilchenko in the closing stages, before admitting the physical torment she had gone through during the race.

"I was quite annoyed, it's not sportsmanship when you pull on someone's feet," she said.

"Every part of your body is hurting. Your stomach is the size of a pea, because all the blood rushes to your arms, your body is saying stop but your head is saying come on keep going.

"The last kilometre felt like 20km, every time I looked up the finish seemed no closer."

Payne admitted it was one of her best performances and was delighted to secure silver.

Payne said: “To get a medal is amazing. We didn’t have a tactic, we just went out and swam.

“The course was really flat and one of the best I’ve ever swum. But I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face.”

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