North West trio help England win swimming silver in Freestyle relay at the Commonwealth Games

England's Freya Anderson, Anna Hopkin, Isabella Hindley and Abbie Wood celebrate silver in the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Final at Sandwell Aquatics Centre on day two of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Credit: David Davies/PA Wire/PA Images

A trio of North West swimmers have brought home a silver for England in the 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The team which included Birkenhead's Freya Anderson, Chorley's Anna Hopkin and Buxton's Abbie Wood took the silver as they battled the champions of the world, Australia, for the top spot in the pool. 

The North West's Anna Hopkin, Abbie Wood, and Freya Anderson celebrate with Isabella Hindley in the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final Credit: David Davies/PA Wire/PA Images

Hopkin took on the opening leg and got England off to a lightning start as she was just behind the Australian’s after the opening 100m’s.

Wood and Hindley kept the quartet in the driving seat for the silver medal as the Australian’s stormed clear on route to victory.

Freya Anderson closed out the race for Team England as the ever impressive Canadian team attempted to close in.

Anderson swum the fastest of England’s four swimmers to hold onto the silver medal with a 53.43 anchor leg.

England’s overall time of 3:36.62 was just under six seconds behind the Australian’s who nearly broke the Commonwealth Games record in a dominant display.

Speaking to British Swimming Anderson said "We're happy to come away with the silver, it was always going to be a tough battle between us and Canada for it, so I'm pleased we got our hands on the wall first,"

"The boys have just gone and got silver as well, so hopefully we can keep building this momentum and see if we can pick up some golds later in the week, that would be exciting." 

The North West's Freya Anderson and Anna Hopkin with Tom Dean and Lewis Edward Burras (l-r) winning silver in the Mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Credit: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/PA Images

The medal follows more success in the pool on Friday night where Chorley's Anna Hopkin and Birkenhead's Freya Anderson won silver in the mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle relay alongside Lewis Burras and Tom Dean.

Meanwhile North West's Hollie Hibbott finished seventh in the Women’s 100m Butterfly final.

The swimmer who started her career at Southport Swimming Club before moving to Stockport Metro, set a time of 59.28 in the final to improve on her eighth position from Saturday morning’s semi-final.

Hibbott performed well to make the final as she continues to regain her form after switching back to open water swimming.

She won silver in the 400m Freestyle at the 2018 Gold Coast games so has adapted incredibly well to a completely different event.

Despite not getting on the podium, her efforts in the pool increased her qualifying ranking by one place.

And there was more to celebrate for Chorley's Anna Hopkin in Saturday's pool action in the Women’s 50m Freestyle semi-finals.

She qualified fourth for Sunday’s final leaving her in a strong position. with a time of 24.66.