By Taylor Covington, Swimming World College Intern.
The 2019 British Swimming Championships entered its fifth day of competition equipped with a slew of household names, each vying for his or her ticket to the World Championships.
Britain has recently forced itself onto the international scene with headliners like Adam Peaty, but this championship has quickly showcased the swimming superpower’s depth across all events. With internationally competitive times across the board, Britain will enter the World Championships having knit together quite the lineup, and things have only just begun in Glasgow.
Benjamin Proud came within striking distance of his 21.11 50 free national record, dropping a 21.50 to dominate the final. Georgia Davies reestablished herself on the national stage with a similarly quick lap, posting a 28.10 to take the women’s 50 back.
Duncan Scott walked away with mixed feelings and a national championship, as he missed Max Litchfield‘s British record by 0.01 in the men’s final 200 IM heat.
Swimming World’s 2019 British Championships Page
Order of Events
- Men’s 800 Free
- Women’s 50 Back
- Men’s 50 Free
- Women’s 400 Free
- Men’s 200 IM
- Women’s 200 IM
Men’s 800 Free
The fifth day of the 2019 British Swimming Championships kicked off with the men’s 800 free. David Davies holds the British national record with a time of 7:44.32.
This time, it was Samuel Budd who took the championship with a time of 7:59.72. Surging ahead of the competition, Budd kept William Bell (8:01.20) at arm’s length, posting the only time under 8:00 in the heat. Bell had a task of his own, as he fought to fend off Tom Derbyshire throughout the race. The two remained neck and neck before Bell edged him at the finish, and Derbyshire was forced to settle for the bronze with an 8:03.42.
Luke Turley brought in the second wave of swimmers with an 8:09.88 to cinch fourth, giving spectators a sprint race at the finish with William Ryley, who touched in a tenth later with a time of 8:09.98. Hector Pardoe faced a similar scenario in his fight for sixth, as he and Nathan Hughes traded leads throughout the race, ultimately finishing with times of 8:14.53 and 8:14.80, respectively.
Max Murphy showcased Britain’s depth in distance, as he seized eighth with a time of 8:17.47 to round out the heat.
Women’s 50 Back
The women kicked off their Day 5 schedule with a quick backstroke lap, where Georgia Davies impressed with a 28.10 to take the win. She narrowly edged out eighteen-year-old Lauren Cox, who crashed the pad with a time of 28.20 to take second. Another youngster fought her way into third, as Cassie Wild followed close behind with a time of 28.43, beating her teammate Kathleen Dawson (28.47).
Lilly Boseley was not to be ignored, as she dropped a 28.74 of her own to take down Harriet West (28.92). Jessica Shaw stayed in the mix with a 28.97, and Lucy Hope (29.05) rounded out the heat barely eclipsing the sub-28 mark.
Men’s 50 Free
The men showcased their own sprint game in the 50 free, where Benjamin Proud manhandled the competition. The national record-holder touched in at 21.50, eclipsing his record by less than 0.40. Proud was over half a second faster than his closest opponent in David Cumberlidge (22.09), who maintained a healthy lead over third-place Jack Thorpe (22.49).
Alexander Bowen lost a heartbreaker, as he conceded third by 0.01, finishing with a 22.50 to tie Thomas Fannon for fourth. The two took down Scott McLay by a small margin, as the 20-year-old sprinting stalwart posted a final time of 22.64. Yusuke Legard came home in a 22.79 to bump Matthew Richards (22.98) to eighth, rounding out a heat that will likely turn heads internationally.
Women’s 400 Free
As expected, Holly Hibbott ran away with the women’s 400 free, dropping a 4:08.50 to beat nationally renowned Leah Crisp (4:12.52) by over four seconds.
Crisp earned the silver with relative ease, as she split a near perfect race to gain almost a three-second advantage over the third wave headed by Rachel Anderson (4:15.21). Anderson engaged in a climactic stroke race with Maisie Macartney (4:15.49) to cinch a spot on the podium, with her last ten yards proving key to her top-three performance.
Nikki Miller remained a threat throughout, staying in the mix with a 4:16.83 which was enough to beat fifteen-year-old Freya Colbert (4:17.09) in the adjacent lane. Lauren Wetherell put forth an impressive effort at the finish, stopping the pad at 4:18.47 to take down Michaela Glenister (4:19.69).
Men’s 200 IM
The men’s 200 IM saw a national record scare and another runaway victory in Duncan Scott, who dropped a 1:56.65 to take the championship. Despite seizing the gold, Scott felt a thread of disappointment, as he missed the Max Litchfield‘s national record by an imperceptible 0.01, posting the fastest time in Britain this year. The race was on for second, as Thomas Dean and Joe Litchfield (1:59.50) traded leads, with Dean ultimately managing to get his hand on the wall first with a time of 1:58.89.
Mark Szarnek was the race’s outside smoke, as he chased down Litchfield and barely conceded third with a time of 1:59.72, rounding out the sub-2:00 finishes in the heat.
Jarvis Parkinson proved himself worthy of the nation’s fastest heat, dropping a 2:01.67 to nab sixth. Callum Lawrie and Jacob Greenow followed close behind with times of 2:02.85 and 2:03.02, respectively.
Women’s 200 IM
Siobhan-Marie O’Connor took it all on the women’s side, widening her lead at the finish to post a 2:10.34 ahead of Alicia Wilson (2:11.60). Abbie Wood began pressing at the finish with the silver in reach, but ultimately fell to Wilson by 0.05 with a time of 2:11.65.
Hannah Miley lead the next wave with a 2:13.91, offering up a clean race that landed her in the top four ahead of Katie Matts (2:14.71). Aimee Wilmott and Amy Bell proved to be real threats throughout, dropping 2:14.85 and 2:14.96, respectively, separating them from the top five by under half a second. Candice Hall rounded out the women’s top heat with a 2:16.37, further emphasizing Britain’s depth that ranks it as a huge threat internationally.
