British Swimming Championships 2022 - Day 6

M 200 Freestyle

It was billed as the race everyone had been waiting for … and the Men’s 200m Freestyle final didn’t disappoint on the final night of the British Swimming Championships.

A stellar field included all the members of the Team GB 4x200m Freestyle Relay team which won gold at Tokyo 2020 Games plus Olympic champion Tom Dean and runner-up Duncan Scott and Millfield OMs.

The clash of the heavyweights went the way of University of Stirling’s Scott (1:45.54) by 0.19s as Dean took second place in 1:45.73. 

They were the fastest two times in the world this year with Bath National Centre’s James Guy, who had led at the 150m mark, taking the bronze medal in 1:46.44. Next to the pads were Joe Litchfield (Loughboro NC, 1:47.66) and Millfield OM  Cameron Kurle (UniOfStirl 1:47.94), then Bath NC' trio Calum Jarvis (Bath NC 1:48.52), Matthew Richards (1:48.67) and Kieran Bird (1:49.39)

Scott said: “To be honest, I was quite disappointed with how the heats were as a 200m Free in Bitrain as a whole, I thought we were quite lazy this morning, I don’t know if it was a couple of us feeling sorry for ourselves on last day of the meet, but I just thought the standard we need to try to hold, it wasn’t good enough. But some people moved it on quite a bit there tonight. It was good to see. I just hope we are able to keep moving things on the rest of this year and the next few years then into Paris.”

Dean said: “The 200m Free at the end of this week is always so special – we saw it at the last trials and we saw it here as well. It’s like the blue riband event for British Swimming at the moment, it’s so strong. We showed that with the 4x200m Free at the Games, we’ve got so much depth – and a one-two with Duncan, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of doing that.

“There was no pressure on that 200m Free at all. I knew I’d booked my ticket and confirmed my place in the top two tonight, but there was no pressure. What I really wanted to do was get that 100m Free and my 200m IM sorted. I got PBs in both of them and qualification in both of them, which is brilliant.

“I haven’t trained my 200m IM in three years, so to come and pop a 1:57.1, I wasn’t expecting that at all. It’s probably the best week I could’ve hoped for. I’m really happy with how the team has done and how I’m back to my best, it’s nice to be back in that position again.”

There was more success in the B Final. Millfield OM Jakob Goodman (Loughboro Un 1:49.35) took over the lead from Edward Mildred (Bath NC 1:50.32) at the halfway mark and controlled the race to deliver the win. Mildred was still in contention at 150m but Jacob Whittle (Derventio 1:49.80) recovered a deficit of almost a second to catch the consistent challenge from William Bell (Loughboro Un 1:49.80). Whittle was crowned British Junior Champion, Mildred finished fifth and Will Ryley (Bath Univ 1:51.26) eighth.

Millfield's Evan Jones (1:50.65) and Alexander Painter (1:51.33) have enjoyed a brilliant week in Sheffield. The pair finished first and fourth respectively in the Priority Paris final.  Thomas Watkin (Co Sheffield 1:50.84) and Josh Williams (Swansea Uni, 1:50.96 776) separated them in second and third.

Tyler Melbourne-Smith (Co Liverpool, 1:52.39) and former Millfield swimmer Calvin Fry (Mt Kelly, 1:52.84) delivered yet more medals after their 1-2 in the Junior race which saw Samuel Tucker (Wycombe Dist, 1:53.31) finish third.

M 50 Butterfly

Ben Proud set the fastest time in the world this year as he won his sixth British Swimming Championships 50m Butterfly title.

Bath University’s Proud had qualified second fastest for the final behind Jacob Peters but produced the perfect performance to top the podium by 0.38s in 23.09.

Peters, of Bath National Centre, lowered his own personal best for the second time in the day as he clocked 23.47 to win the silver, with Wycombe District’s Adam Barrett third in 23.80.

Proud said: “That was much better than I expected. With coming to this unrested, trying to train through, last night (50m Free) was how we expected – but this swim here was better. Me and Mark Skimmings spoke about the race this morning, really focused on small details, and it’s one of those races where I executed them and it paid off.

“I had to make the most of being pre-selected, which is what we’ve done. It’s about building through the year. A few of us are quite lucky to be able to train through and then peak in the summer. It will be a good couple of competitions back to back, which will be good fun to take part in, but we have to get this training bit in to be able to perform in the summer. All this racing is brilliant just to get yourself primed and ready to go, suits back on and get back into it.”

Joshua Gammon (Bath Univ, 24.36) came within 0.05s of winner Jamie Ingram (Co Manch Aq, 24.31) to take second place in the B Final. A Cameron-Calvo (Portsmouth N, 24.50) was third. A 24.78 fifth placed swim by Sebastian Rawes (Abingdon Vale) earned him the British Junior Champion title.

There were more fine margins determining the placing outcomes in the Priority Paris final won by Aaron Fox (Co Sheffield, 24.78). Millfield's Stanislas Chausson (24.97) came second, 0.05s intervals separated Ned Sharp (Skipton 25.02) in third and Mark Edmundson (Team Bath AS, 25.07) in fifth place.

A sub 25s swim from Millfield's Alexander Painter (24.98) brought with it victory in the Junior race. Second and third were Michael Klimaszewski (Camden Swiss, 25.11) and James Cleaver (Beckenham, 25.21).

M 200 Backstroke

Luke Greenbank won his second gold medal of the 2022 British Swimming Championships – but was made to fight all the way for it by his 2021 Olympic Games team-mate Brodie Williams. Loughborough National Centre’s Greenbank, who won bronze in Tokyo last year, triumphed by 0.33s as he recorded 1:57.57.

Millfield OM Williams (Bath National Centre) had led at the halfway stage but couldn’t find a way past Greenbank as he stretched ahead of the field as they turned into the final 50m. Team Bath alumnus Jay Lelliott (City of Sheffield) was third in 1:58.80. Cameron Brooker (Bath NC, 1:59.79) finished in fifth place. A 2:02.33 swim in eighth place brought a successful week for Kaden Edwards (Co Cardiff) to a close as he earned the title of British Junior Champion. 

Greenbank was made to work hard for his second gold, however, as he added the 200m title to the 100m crown he won on the second day of the competition. He said: “It was quite a tough race. Maybe I went out a little too hard on the legs, and I hard Brodie next to me, pushing me all the way to the end. It’s nothing special, but for where I am at the minute, coming into this comp has been far from ideal preparation. I was ill with the flu for a couple of weeks, that knocked me back a little.

“I just wanted to come here and get some racing exposure, that’s one of the positives I can take from the week, that I have been competitive and progressing. There’s a lot to learn. A good block of training over the next 10 weeks into Worlds, a solid block and then I think we’ll be in a good place.”

Jacob Greenow (Bath Univ, 2:02.96) came third in the B Final behind Charlie Brown (Loughboro NC, 2:00.34) and Oliver Morgan (Birm'ham Uni, 2:01.78).

Miles Drabwell (Bath Univ 2:05.60), Oscar Barlow (TauntonDeane,  2:05.86) and Conor Cherrington (Millfield, 2:07.39) all made the Priority Paris final finishing in sixth to eighth places. First three to the pads were Robbie Hemmings (Poole, 2:02.67), Zach Speakman (UniOfStirl, 2:02.79) and Oscar Dodds (Co Leicester,  2:04.22).

The only sub 2:05 swim in the Junior race came from Millfield's Adam Graham (2:04.98). Isaac Dodds (Co Leicester 2:05.79) and Finley Bunhejee (Derventio 2:06.76) placed second and third respectively.

W 100 Butterfly

Laura Stephens impressed in the Women’s 100m Butterfly to win her second British title of the championships. After topping the podium in the 200m race, Stephens admitted it was a case of job done after beating fastest qualifier Harriet Jones to the gold medal.

Loughborough National Centre’s Stephens turned just ahead of the 50m Butterfly champion Harriet Jones and never looked like relinquishing her advantage as they closed in on the wall.

She touched home in 58.43 to win by 0.67s, with City of Cardiff’s Jones second in 59.10 and University of Stirling’s Keanna Maccines third in 59.24.

Stephens said: “I really wanted to drop time from the heats, I wasn’t expecting that much of a drop, so I’m super happy with that. I listened to what Dave said, went through my process and then the scoreboard showed me something I wanted to see!

“It’s a massive confidence boost to come here this week and come away with two golds from two events. That’s job done and everything I wanted, so I’m really happy with that.”

Bath NC's Emily Large (1:00.38) finished 0.13s ahead of Madeleine Robertson (04) Scot Non-Res) to take second place in the B Final which was won by Lucy Grieve (Sth Ayrshire, 1:00.16).

A narrow victory in the Priority Paris final for Ashleigh Baillie (Co Sheffield, 1:00.76) earned her the British Junior Champion title. Also topping off a memorable week were Hollie Widdows (Mt Kelly, 1:00.90) and Sophie Freeman (Plymouth Lea, 1:00.93) in third.

A 1:03.51 effort by Jessica Lawton (Co Bristol) claimed sixth place in the Junior race where the first three to finish were Phoebe Cooper (08) (Co Sheffield, 1:01.46), Lucy Fox (Wycombe Dist 1:01.90) and Madison Johnson (Donc Dartes, 1:02.67).

W 100 Breaststroke

An extremely close Women’s 100m Breaststroke race was won by Edinburgh University’s Kara Hanlon in a new lifetime best. Hanlon claimed her first senior British title as she touched first in 1:07.52 – only 0.08 ahead of Loughborough National Centre’s Sarah Vasey (1:07.60). Derventio’s Imogen Clark, who led after the first 50m, was third in 1:07.63 Millfield OM Lily Booker (Loughboro NC) placed sixth with 1:10.02.

Hanlon saId: “I’m so chuffed with that [first senior British title]. I saw to my right how quick Imogen went out, but I always knew she was going to go out quick – it was just about bringing it home for me. I’m not sure what that was, but trying to make that 36.0 coming back has been the goal this season. Hopefully this just builds into faster swimming in the summer.”

There was also a sixth place finish for a Millfield OM in the B Final courtesy of Anna Morgan (Edinburgh Uni, 1:11.61). Her University team mates Katie Goodburn (1:10.80) and Katie Robertson (1:10.81) claimed a 1-2 and Cira Fletcher (Nova Cent'n) finished third in 1:10.82.

Millfield's Nellie Clark clocked 1:13.28 in the Priority Paris race whose top three were Emma Allatt-File (Guildford Ct, 1:11.55), Carys O'Reilly (Co Leicester, 1:11.61) and Maia Hall (Bo Stockton,  1:11.91).

Millfield's Charlotte Hardy (1:13.02) came third in the Junior race behind Charlotte Bianchi (Co Sheffield, 1:12.19) and Mabli Collyer (Swansea Aq, 1:12.63).

W 1500 Freestyle

Barnet Copthall’s Fleur Lewis put on a tactical masterclass in the Women’s 1500m Freestyle after overturning a huge deficit in the final 50m of an exhilarating race. She reeled in early pacesetter Amber Keegan and took the lead as they turned for the home straight to win her first senior British national title in a time of 16:45.51.

Keegan held a 10-second advantage at one stage after building up an impressive lead but she couldn’t hold on and had to settle for the silver medal in a new personal best of 16:48.33.

Bath National Centre’s Leah Crisp was third in 16:56.40. Livia Kingsland (Nova Cent'n) was rewarded for her 17:13.14 seventh place finish with the British Junior Champion title.

Lewis said: “It’s mainly just about trusting my swimming, my training at home. I train to back end things normally. I didn’t actually know if I could catch her, I’m not going to lie – but as the race went on, I slowly saw that I was catching up, which gave me more energy to swim faster.

“I tend not to focus on the crowd because it makes me more nervous. I just try to focus on my race and what I’m doing, instead of anybody else, as I can’t control anything else, so I focus on my race. It was good, but it was hard.”

This evening’s session features finals across the below events - a Junior Final, a Priority Paris Final, a B Final and the A Final (whose winner will be declared British champion),

Order: W 1500 Freestyle – Fastest Heat, M 50 Butterfly, W 100 Breaststroke, M 200 Backstroke, W 100 Butterfly, M 200 Freestyle.

One last morning of fast swimming was on show at Ponds Forge on Sunday as the British Swimming Championships builds towards an unmissable final session later in the day.

The Men's 200m Freestyle will bring the meet to its traditionally entertaining close in the last final of the competition - but there is set to be plenty of other fast racing after the morning heats.

Edinburgh University athlete Kara Hanlon swam from the front and came close to her personal best to lead the 100m Breaststroke qualifying, ahead of Olympian Sarah Vasey - who trains at the Loughborough National Centre - and Derventio's Imogen Clark, who won the 50m Breaststroke sprint on the opening evening at Ponds Forge.

Double Olympic medallist Luke Greenbank laid down a marker in the heats of the Men's 200m Backstroke - the event that brought him an individual bronze at Tokyo 2020. Greenbank went more than two seconds faster than next qualifer Brodie Williams (Bath National Centre) to secure himself lane four and a great shot at a fifth British title over 200m.

In the day's two butterfly events, Bath National Centre man Jacob Peters set an eye-catching new personal best of 23.61 to qualify fastest in the Men's 50m Butterfly, just ahead of former world champion Ben Proud.

The Women's 100m Butterfly, meanwhile, looks likely to be a close contest across the middle of the pool. City of Cardiff's Harriet Jones led the way in the morning heats - but Laura Stephens (Loughborough National Centre), Keanna MacInnes (University of Stirling) and Tain Bruce (Edinburgh University) were all within 0.7s of her time.

Then there is that much-anticipated Men's 200m Freestyle showpiece. The swimmers set for that final amassed a stunning seven golds and one silver medal between them, across individual and relay 200m Freestyle events, at last year's Tokyo Olympic Games. Duncan Scott - a part of that dominant Men's 4x200m Freestyle relay and an individual silver-medal winner - made yet another statement for the week by leading the heats times after a strong 150m was followed by a controlled, more relaxed pace into the wall.

Tom Dean, the Olympic 200m Freestyle champion, will be in lane three after a promising heats swim of his own, with Rio 2016 Olympian Cameron Kurle (University of Stirling) splitting the pair on the heats results after a brilliant four laps of the pool for a morning performance. What unfolds this evening is absolutely not to be missed, with James Guy, Calum Jarvis and Matt Richards - who all contributed to that Olympic relay success - also booking themselves a final spot.

The fastest heat in the Women's 1500m Freestyle will get the last session underway.

Block A

Fastest seeded heats. Order: M 50 Butterfly, W 100 Breaststroke, M 200 Backstroke, W 100 Butterfly, M 200 Freestyle and W 1500 Freestyle (*Fastest seeded heat scheduled for finals session).
 

Block B

Conclusion of heats in the following events: M 50 Butterfly, W 100 Breaststroke, M 200 Backstroke, W 100 Butterfly, M 200 Freestyle and W 1500 Freestyle (*Fastest seeded heat scheduled for finals session)).