Professional Sports Group

Fran Halsall is one of the most exciting young athletes in Great Britain.  She competed in more events at the Beijing Olympics than any other GB swimmer.

Fran joined Ormskirk Swimming club in 1997 at seven years old, started to compete at the age of 9 in local competitions and quickly came to prominence setting records in local competitions for Backstroke, Butterfly and Freestyle.

At her first National Championships Fran won three gold medals, three silver medals and the overall British Age Group Categories (Bagcats) award.  The award reflects great performance over a number of events rather than one particular event.
Fran was the only British Gold Medalist at the 2005 European Junior Championships in the 100m freestyle and she also won silver in the 50m freestyle and bronze in the 4×200m Freestyle Relay.  She continued to move up the UK rankings and by the age of 15 she was representing the British senior team.

In 2006 Fran competed in her first Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where she came fourth in the  100m Freestyle.  She also swam the anchor legs for the 100m freestyle relay team and the medley relay team winning two Silver medals.

In the same year, at the European Long Course Championships, she was again fourth in the 100m freestyle and anchored the medley team to Gold in a British record time, holding off the world record holder Britta Steffen in the final leg.  Following the race Steffen commented “That young girl on the final leg, what a swim, what a split”.

At last years National Championships Fran won the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle setting new British records in both and she won the 50m freestyle to be crowned Swimmer of the Championships. She is certainly living up to her billing as the most exciting sprint prospect in the world.

At the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing Fran qualified for the final of 3 out of the 6 events she competed in setting a new British Record  in the 100m individual freestyle as well as helping break the British Record in the 4×100m freestyle relay and 4×100m medley relay.

Fran’s performance at the Olympics, although outstanding for any 18 year old athlete, was not up to the standard she had hoped to reach. Fran’s disappointment at not winning a medal in Beijing has made her more driven than ever to put that right in four year’s time in London.

Achievements:

2008 4th - 4×100m Medley Relay, Olympic Games, Beijing
2008 7th - 4×100m Freestyle Relay, Olympic Games, Beijing
2008 8th - 100m Freestyle Final, Olympic Games, Beijing
2008 Silver – 100m Freestyle, World Short Course Championships
2008 Bronze – 50m Freestyle, World Short Course Championships
2008 Bronze – 4×100m Freestyle & Medley Relay, World Short Course Championships
2008 Gold - 50m Butterfly, National Championships
2008 Gold – 50m Freestyle, National Championships (British Record)
2007 Gold – 100m Freestyle, National Championships (British Record)
2007 Gold – 50m Freestyle, National Championships
2007 Gold – 50m Butterfly, National Championships (British Record)
2006 Silver - 100m Relay, Commonwealth Games
2006 Silver - Medley Relay, Commonwealth Games
2006 4th - 100m Freestyle – Commonwealth Games
2006 Gold - 50m & 100m Freestyle, 4×100m Freestyle Relay, European Junior Championships
2006 Silver - 200m Freestyle – European Junior Championships
2006 Gold - 50m Freestyle, British Long Course Championships
2006 Silver - 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 200m Freestyle, British Long Course Championships
2006 Bronze - 100m Backstroke, 200m Individual Medley, British Long Course Championships
2004 5th - 50m Freestyle, Olympic Trials
2005 Gold - 100m Freestyle, European Junior Championships
2005 Silver - 50m Freestyle, European Junior Championships
2005 Bronze - 4×200m Freestyle Relay, European Junior Championships
2005 Gold - 50m Freestyle, British Long Course Championships
2005 Bronze - 100, Freestyle, British Long Course Championships