GB Swimming

[Rafa Maciel 1,720]

So, after day 1 of the Trials, we're in reasonable position - albeit with a couple of disappointing near misses.

 

Whilst it is great that the 100m Women's Freestyle Relay team hit the selection time, it's disappointing that none of the individual swimmers were able to hit the selection times. Likewise on the Women's 50m Breaststroke, it seems a shame that we're likely to leave Imogen Clark out of the squad for Europeans given it is a new Olympic event. 

 

Also, a little bit gutted that Nowacki missed out on the OQT in the 100 Breaststroke - but on the upside, there's still plenty of time before he needs to be hitting 58s consistently. 

[Surreal 34]

42 minutes ago, Rafa Maciel said:

So, after day 1 of the Trials, we're in reasonable position - albeit with a couple of disappointing near misses.

 

Whilst it is great that the 100m Women's Freestyle Relay team hit the selection time, it's disappointing that none of the individual swimmers were able to hit the selection times. Likewise on the Women's 50m Breaststroke, it seems a shame that we're likely to leave Imogen Clark out of the squad for Europeans given it is a new Olympic event. 

 

Also, a little bit gutted that Nowacki missed out on the OQT in the 100 Breaststroke - but on the upside, there's still plenty of time before he needs to be hitting 58s consistently. 

I'd expect those going to Europeans as part of the relay will also have a chance to race individually so it doesnt really matter.

 

Agree about Clark, but going 0.6 slower than your PB over a 50 is disappointing.

 

Hitting the OQT is irrelevant until 2028 trials, so I wouldn't worry about that.

[Epic Failure 365]

Agreed @Surreal. We know from the various years of experience that Aquatics GB will require whatever time they set to be done in the final of trials for that year's competition, so what athletes are doing this year matters only for their goals for this year. 

 

It's also worth remembering that not only is there a Euros team to be picked, but there are multiple CG teams to make, as well as a European Jnrs (as well as the para swimmers obv). 

 

I'm trying to keep track of who is doing what (which is complicated because i don't always know who is English, who is Welsh, who is from Jersey etc  ).

 

But at a rough estimate I reckon 22 able bodied swimmers did enough today that they could get a call up for one team or another this summer.  Not shabby for day 1. 

[Epic Failure 365]

On the subject of the women's 100m free specifically, it's worth remembering the context. We don't have a strong history in this event. We only had 15 women ever go under 55s before today. We only had 5 ever under 54s before today. 

 

To have two women break 54 for the first time to take that latter number to 7, and two more break 55 shows that depth is being built. 

 

By my reckoning Freya Anderson was the only one of the finalists that didn't break her PB today. 

 

Getting the relay qualified and getting the athletes potentially getting an individual swim (if the selectors agree) should help things to continue moving forward. Rome wasn't built in a day and all that. And obviously the Commonwealth selections as well. 

[Rafa Maciel 1,720]

GB Aquatics Championships 2026 - Day 2 Finalists

 

 

Men's 50m Breaststroke Freestyle: OQT - 27.71

1. Adam Peaty (QT - 26.87)

2. Max Morgan (QT - 27.28)

3. Archie Goodburn (QT - 27.32)

4. Filip Nowacki (QT - 27.39)

5. Kyle Booth (QT - 27.66)

6. Gregory Butler (QT - 27.75)

7. Charlie-Joe Hallett (QT - 27.94)

8. Aran Bissett (QT - 27.95)

 

Women's 400m IM : OQT - 4:37.33

1. Amalie Smith (QT - 4:42.59)

2. Suzie McNair (QT - 4:50.40)

3. Ines Guimond-Beetham (QT 4:50.65)

4. Evi Mackie (QT - 4:52.45)

5. Matilda Potter (QT - 4:52.61)

6. Holly Hopwood (QT - 4:53.13)

7. Abbie Roscoe (QT - 4:53.92)

8. Petra Varga (QT - 4:54.20)

 

Men's 200m Butterfly: OQT - 1:54.69

1. Edward Mildred (QT - 1:57.40)

2. Duncan Scott (QT - 1:58.31)

3. Luke Greenbank (QT - 1:58.71)

4. Joshua Gammon (QT - 1:58.81)

5. Hendrik Van Der Leest (QT - 1:59.19)

6. Thomas Beeley (QT - 1:59.26)

7. Andrew Bertoli (QT - 2:00.49)

8. Antonio Rodriguez (QT - 2:00.82)

 

Women's 100m Backstroke: OQT - 59.49

1. Lauren Cox (QT - 1:00.41)

2. Blythe Kinsman (QT - 1:01.07)

3. Katie Schillinger (QT - 1:01.75)

4. Katie Shanahan (QT - 1:01.97)

5. Honey Osrin (QT - 1:02.00)

6. Rebecca Sutton (QT - 1:02.39)

7. Niamh Ward (QT - 1:02.40)

8. Fenella Wooddisse (QT - 1:02.44)

 

Men's 400m IM: OQT - 4:11.52

1. Max Litchfield (QT - 4:18.12)

2. Charlie Hutchison (QT - 4:20.74)

3. George Smith (QT - 4:21.95)

4. David Annis (QT - 4:22.92)

5. Daniel Ransom (QT - 4:25.39)

6. Edward Marcal Whittles (QT - 4:25.92)

7. Charles Kershaw (QT - 4:27.75)

8. Cameron Wrapson (QT - 4:28.25)

[Rafa Maciel 1,720]

GB Aquatics Championships 2026 - Day 2 Finals

 

Women's 1500m Freestyle: OQT 16:08.65 European QT - 16:07.20

1. Amelie Blocksidge - 16:22.93

2. Abbie Roscoe - 16:32.58

3. Lucy Parsons - 16:36.79

4. Alexandra Bastone - 16:40.03

5. Emma Price - 16:43.79

6. Phoebe Arbuckle - 16:48.63

7. Madison Rens - 16:55.24

8. Lucy Charles Barclay - 17:03.73

9. Kerry Hennie - 17:04.20

10. Ava Cook - 17:07.33

 

 

Men's 50m Breaststroke Freestyle: OQT - 27.71 European QT - 27.13

1. Adam Peaty - 26.64  

2. Filip Nowacki - 27.10  

3. Archie Goodburn - 27.22 

4. Max Morgan - 27.22 

5. Gregory Butler - 27.53 

6. Charlie-Joe Hallett - 27.92

7. Kyle Booth - 28.00

8. Aran Bissett - 28.20

 

 

Women's 400m IM: OQT - 4:37.33 European QT 4:39.23

1. Amalie Smith - 4:35.46   (PB)

2. Suzie McNair - 4:47.32

3. Evi Mackie - 4:47.87

4. Ines Guimond-Beetham - 4:47.90

5. Abbie Roscoe - 4:49.78

6. Matilda Potter - 4:55.16

7. Petra Varga - 4:58.31

8. Holly Hopwood - 5:04.79

 

 

Men's 200m Butterfly: OQT - 1:54.69 European QT - 1:55.54

1. Duncan Scott - 1:54.97 

2. Edward Mildred - 1:55.03 

3. Luke Greenbank - 1:57.80

4. Joshua Gammon - 1:57.81

5. Thomas Beeley - 1:58.76

6. Hendrik Van Der Leest - 2:00.00

7. Antonio Rodriguez - 2:00.01

8. Andrew Bertoli - 2:00.30

 

 

Women's 100m Backstroke: OQT - 59.49 European QT - 59.76

1. Lauren Cox - 59.66 

2. Blythe Kinsman - 1:00.84

3. Katie Shanahan - 1:01.10

4. Niamh Ward - 1:01.25

5. Honey Osrin - 1:01.49

6. Katie Schillinger - 1:01.75

7. Fenella Wooddisse - 1:01.99

8. Rebecca Sutton - 1:02.04

 

 

Men's 400m IM: OQT - 4:11.52 European QT - 4:13.16

1. Max Litchfield - 4:11.69  

2. Charlie Hutchison - 4:15.79

3. George Smith - 4:18.39

4. David Annis - 4:18.54

5. Edward Marcal Whittles - 4:22.13

6. Cameron Wrapson - 4:25.45

7. Charles Kershaw  - 4:27.16 

- Daniel Ransom - 4:23.01 (DSQ)

 

 Time Within LA'28 Qualifying Standard

 Time Within GB Aquatics European Standard

Edited Wednesday at 08:11 PM by Rafa Maciel

[Epic Failure 365]

Interesting today to see neither Colbert nor Shanahan in the 400IM. Katie has been injured, so that makes sense, but less understandable from Freya, unless she just doesn't fancy it (I'm not sure I'd want to be going up against McIntosh and Yu Zudi to be fair  ). Still, Smith seems to have more than stepped up in their absence. 

 

 

Not Blocksidge's finest hour but she did get the Commonwealth Games consideration (and obviously the Jnr time as well). I wonder if we'll see her stick at the distance free in the pool or move more to open water. 

 

Mildred's form is promising, especially for the 100m/medley relay (the fly spot currently being the obvious 'open' spot on that team. Duncan ever the supreme competitor though. 

 

Peaty looks happy and the times are super impressive for the old man of the event after a year off.  He must start wondering though when Morgan/Nowacki will overtake him - they are both quicker at age group level than Adam was. 

 

Solid from Cox but that women's 100 back feels like an event in a bit of a big lull, which doesn't help for the medley relays. 

 

Litchfield consistent as ever. You would think he's someone who would definitely prioritise the Commonwealths over the Euros, because no Marchand in Paris in the former. 

[Rafa Maciel 1,720]

Unfortunately, GB Aquatics have taken over the mantle from GB Athletics to now have the worst selection policy.

 

I can't think of any other sport where the federation imposes a cap on the team size (excluding those where the team size is dictated by the number of quotas available). Add to that, they're imposing their own qualification standards which in some cases are wholly unrealistic.

 

A 16:07.20 for the women's 1500m Freestyle all but guaranteed that nobody would be able to achieve it. Not only is it faster than the Olympic qualifying standard for LA, it would have won silver at the 2024 Europeans. Blocksidge's 16:22.93 was definitely slower than she would have wanted, but that time would still likely have been enough to qualify her for a European final.

 

I don't see the logic of creating an environment that doesn't maximise the opportunity for athletes to compete at major championships. 

[mpjmcevoy 379]

5 minutes ago, Rafa Maciel said:

Unfortunately, GB Aquatics have taken over the mantle from GB Athletics to now have the worst selection policy.

 

I can't think of any other sport where the federation imposes a cap on the team size (excluding those where the team size is dictated by the number of quotas available). Add to that, they're imposing their own qualification standards which in some cases are wholly unrealistic.

 

A 16:07.20 for the women's 1500m Freestyle all but guaranteed that nobody would be able to achieve it. Not only is it faster than the Olympic qualifying standard for LA, it would have won silver at the 2024 Europeans. Blocksidge's 16:22.93 was definitely slower than she would have wanted, but that time would still likely have been enough to qualify her for a European final.

 

I don't see the logic of creating an environment that doesn't maximise the opportunity for athletes to compete at major championships. 

The logic is financial, as it was back in the day for the dreadful UKA selection system. Once that is understood, all else follows entirely logically.

[mpjmcevoy 379]

6 hours ago, Epic Failure said:

Interesting today to see neither Colbert nor Shanahan in the 400IM. Katie has been injured, so that makes sense, but less understandable from Freya, unless she just doesn't fancy it (I'm not sure I'd want to be going up against McIntosh and Yu Zudi to be fair  ). Still, Smith seems to have more than stepped up in their absence. 

 

 

Not Blocksidge's finest hour but she did get the Commonwealth Games consideration (and obviously the Jnr time as well). I wonder if we'll see her stick at the distance free in the pool or move more to open water. 

 

Mildred's form is promising, especially for the 100m/medley relay (the fly spot currently being the obvious 'open' spot on that team. Duncan ever the supreme competitor though. 

 

Peaty looks happy and the times are super impressive for the old man of the event after a year off.  He must start wondering though when Morgan/Nowacki will overtake him - they are both quicker at age group level than Adam was. 

 

Solid from Cox but that women's 100 back feels like an event in a bit of a big lull, which doesn't help for the medley relays. 

 

Litchfield consistent as ever. You would think he's someone who would definitely prioritise the Commonwealths over the Euros, because no Marchand in Paris in the former. 

The GB  men's breaststroke production line looks, once again, in fine order - even during the darker years for GB swimming, All the way back to Wilkie, Goodhew, Moorehouse and Gillingham, Gibson and Mew, Jamieson, Murdoch and Wilby, GB seemed to be able to churn out 'strokers. Despite Peaty's dominance clearly the seed remains strong.