Medal is a giggle for Halsall
Fran Halsall burst out laughing after realising she had claimed the silver medal in the 100 metres freestyle at the World Championships in Rome.
The 19-year-old was third at the halfway stage but then overhauled defending champion Libby Trickett to demolish her own British record in 52.87 seconds, making her only the third woman in history to dip below 53 seconds.
The Liverpool teenager said: "When I finished I just couldn't stop giggling, I couldn't believe it.
"It was fantastic, it was an amazing race to be in.
"I don't know whether to laugh or to cry, I've just been giggling and tears have been coming out."
She added: "I couldn't understand whether I'd come second or third.
"I was like 'second?' Hee, hee, hee."
Britta Steffen lowered her own world record to win in 52.07 - the 30th mark of the championships at the Foro Italico - with Australian Trickett taking third.
Meanwhile, the men's 4x200m freestyle relay squad failed to emulate their female counterparts when they finished seventh in 7:05.57.
The USA won and took 0.01 off their own world record in 6:58.55 - although Michael Phelps again came off worse against Paul Biedermann as the pair went head to head on the opening leg. Russia were second, and Australia third.
