BACKSTROKE king Joe Elwood is celebrating double gold at the British Summer Championships.

The Ulverston torpedo blazed a trail through the pool at Ponds Forge, Sheffield to win the 50m and 100m events.

It was a good championships for South Cumbria, with Barrow's Fraser Minnican taking bronze in the 200m individual medley.

Elwood set new personal bests in both events and catapulted himself into the top-five all time British swimmers in the shorter event as he defended his crown.

His time of 25.45 seconds was 0.94 seconds quicker than anyone else in the 19-years-plus event, with Cockermouth's Oliver Smith taking silver.

“It was a good week,” said Elwood. “I had target times set with my coach at the start of the week and I managed to reach them and, to top it off, I got the wins in both the events as well. I was very pleased.

“My target was to go under 25.5 in the 50 and break 55 in the 100. I managed both and I was pleased to do that as well as get gold in both events.

“I won the 50 last year and I was happy to retain that, but the highest I have ever finished in the 100 is third. I was over the moon with getting the win in the 100, that meant a bit more to me than winning the 50.”

Defending his 50m crown was not a daunting prospect for Elwood, and he added: “I didn't feel any pressure, I was quite relaxed because I knew I was in good shape to do a good time.

“I think that's the fifth-fastest now in Britain. As soon as you start getting towards the low 25s, 24-high, you start making world finals and things like that. I'm starting to progress pretty fast.”

In the 100m, the 21-year-old broke the 55-second barrier for the first time, touching the wall in 54.77, 0.31 seconds ahead of second-placed Charlie Boldison, of the University of Stirling.

The Loughborough University swimmer found an extra burst of energy in the closing stages of the race and was able to clinch victory in an Olympic event.

Reflecting on this race, Elwood said: “It's the more exciting thing from the week, knowing I have managed to step it up for the 100 as well as the 50. I know I can challenge for that a bit more now.

“I’ve been trying to get under 55 seconds for a couple of years now so I am really happy with that performance.

“Charlie always comes back fast so I knew I had to go out hard in the first 50 metres. In the heats this morning, I eased off in the final 20 metres so I knew I could give a little more.”

Elwood's long-course season is now over, but he hopes to build on last year's string short-course campaign in the months ahead.

He is aiming for success in the British Universities Championships (BUCS) in November and at the new British meeting around Christmas, where he is likely to come up against Commonwealth Games champion Chris Walker-Hebborn and 50m world record holder Liam Tancock.

“I want to try and win the BUCS again and I'd like to get on the podium at the new national meeting and see where I stand short-course against all of them,” the Ulverston Amateur Swimming Club member added.

“I'd like to think that the BUCS record is doable this year on the hundred and then at the nationals, I've not raced the likes of Chris Walker-Hebborn or Liam Tancock short-course. It will be nice to do that.

“Myabe I'm not quite level with them short-course, because their skills are slightly better than me, but the way I have come on this year, there's no reason I can't be close to them.

“Long-course, I'm better at the swimming and I'm only 0.8 seconds off what Tancock has done this year. I've dropped a second this year, so it's not too unrealistic.

“At the 50, I'm getting there and it's only half-a-second off the fastest in Britain this year.”

For Loughborough University student Minnican, third place in the 200m IM came with a new personal best time of 2:02.77. That was 1.97 seconds off top spot, but was a strong display from the 20-year-old.

He also finished eighth in the 400m freestyle final to round off his week.