TeamGB

This whole situation is a bit of a mess, and I think all sides need to come forward and explain what has happened so a proper investigation can take place.

The think that frustrates me the most is that is has been swept under the rug for so long. I'm sure that many of the Chinese swimmers are clean, and the progression shown by Chinese swimming/swimmers is not improbable, but now that this has happened the perception of many swimmers may have been tarnished (unfairly or not). The fact that it took 3 years for this information to come out indicates some dodgy business going on, and the consequences could be dire and should hopefully stir some debate into large scale doping in sport, where I feel the focus has been on Russia for too long.

Thanks, I have been struggling to find the results for this. When you say "internal leg" on the relays, is that a time from this meet or has some takeover time been taken off.

Am I reading this right - 2/3 chance of a qualifier

If GB win only 13 Golds I will be shocked, and honestly same with Australia, I could see them near that target in just Swimming.

James Guy can swim if he proves form

After an extremely disappointing Tokyo, British rowing have really turned this around and I would say that they are the governing body with the biggest improvement from Tokyo. For me the most important thing is having depth and I think the 4 showed that extremely well.

As much as I am a fan of world taekwondo for creating a interesting sport with clear rules and easy to follow for the viewer, I have to say that their qualification system is one of the worst. Personally I don’t think there should be a limit on the number of athletes who can qualify for a team. Imagine being the 6th ranked fighter in the world and not qualifying because there are 2 other athletes in different weight classes are higher ranked for you. And this one is a gripe which can be applied to other sports as well. The Individual neutral Athletes are baisically a team, no matter how hard people try to spin it in neutrality. They even have their own flag, so surely these limits on athletes participation should apply to them, but they don’t. And on a side note their website is appalling.

Normally the morning sessions aren't livestreamed anywhere, even at the world championships.

I think para-cycling and cycling could definitely work as all the events at the Paralympics are time trial format, so integrated classes could compete on a points system. The issue is that a selection meet wouldn't really work for cycling as most events are team ones and the likelihood of a random rider knocking down an olympic champion is much higher, which would kind of be like british cycling. shooting itself in the foot.

Overall I have really enjoyed this meet, and I have enjoyed the integration of the para and able bodied swimmers. The para swimmers have put on a great show with some truly world class times. As a summary, I thought I'd go through the para swimming prospects for Paris, and give the times which would have won medals at last years worlds. Men's 100m Freestyle S12 - Silver Men's 200m Freestyle S14 - Gold Men's 400m Freestyle S6 - Bronze Men's 100m Backstroke S12 - Gold Men's 100m Backstroke S14 - Bronze Men's 100m Butterfly S12 - Gold Men's 100m Butterfly S14 - Silver Men's 200m IM S6 - Bronze Men's 200m IM S14 - Bronze Women's 50m Freestyle S8 - Silver Women's 100m Freestyle S5 - Gold Women's 200m Freestyle S5 - Gold Women's 200m Freestyle S14 - Gold, Silver + Bronze Women's 400m Freestyle S8 - Gold Women's 400m Freestyle S10 - Bronze Women's 50m Backstroke S3 - Gold Women's 50m Backstroke S5 - Silver Women's 100m Backstroke S8 - Gold Women's 100m Backstroke S14 - Gold, Silver + Bronze Women's 100m Butterfly S8 - Bronze Women's 100m Butterfly S10 - Gold + Bronze Women's 100m Butterfly S14 - Gold + Silver Women's 100m Breaststroke S5 - Silver Women's 100m Breaststroke S6 - Gold Women's 100m Breaststroke S7 - Gold Women's 100m Breaststroke S8 - Gold Women's 100m Breaststroke S13 - Silver Women's 100m Breaststroke S14 - Bronze Women's 200m IM S6 - Gold Women's 200m IM S8 - Gold Women's 200m IM S14 - Gold + Bronze Mixed 4x100m Freestyle S14 - Gold Overall, that results in 19 Golds, 9 Silvers and 11 Bronzes. For comparison, we got 8 Golds, 9 Silvers and 9 Bronzes in Tokyo

Is this from the same source that said we are not sending a team to the European Athletics champs. Why would they not send the relay when 3/4 athletes are already selected and I have no doubt that Angharad gets the time tonight.

I agree with the first part, although it doesn't reward failure, as you could just as easily argue that Bird failed by not getting the nomination time. In the end, Aquatics GB will focus on what brings in the funding, which is medals, and if that means bending their own rules then I am sure they will be prepared to do that.

Well this aim of the selection policy is to "optimise medal outcomes.", so athletes like Kieran Bird would likely understand why they were not picked as they really have no chance of medalling or providing cover for a medal contending relay. Personally I think that the 100 fly leg on the relay shouldn't necessarily be given to an athlete at trials in April, as form can change dramatically since then. I think they take all 3, and I think the 30 selection limit still allows this, and then allows the most in form to swim on the relays, in order to maximise the "medal outcome".

Medi could cover, and Freya Colbert is also entered into to 100m free. Although you are right, depending on how Eva Okaro swims in the 100m she could definately take Laurens spot on the team. The point of this is to show that there is still room on the team to get both James Guy and Jacob Peters on the train despite performing poorly tonight.

This is my current take on the team with 2 days left. Currently Qualified 1. Keanna Macinnes (200m Fly) 2. Freya Colbert (200m Free + Relay + 400m IM) 3. Abbie Wood (200m Free + Relay) 4. Medi Harris (200m Free Relay) 5. Lucy Hope (200m Free Relay) 6.Adam Peaty (100m Breast + Medley Relay) 7. Oliver Morgan (100m Back + Medley Relay) 8. Kathleen Dawson (100m Back) 9. Dan Jervis (1500m Free) 10. Anna Hopkin (50m Free) 11. Max Litchfield (400m IM) 12. Matt Richards (100m Free + Relay) 13. Duncan Scott (100m Free + Relay + 200m IM) 14. Tom Dean (100m Free Relay) 15. Alex Cohoon (100m Free Relay) 16. Joe Litchfield (Medley Relay) 17. Honey Osrin (200m Back) Likely Qualifiers from the rest of the meet 18. Ben Proud (50m Free) 19. Luke Greenbank (200m Back) 20. Angharad Evans (100m Breast) 2nd Place finishers with consideration Times 21. Laura Stephens (200m Fly) 22. Jonathan Marshall (100m Back) 23. Katie Shanahan (400m IM + 200m Back) Likely 2nd Place finishers 24. Kara Hanlon (100m Breast) Likely Relay members 25. James Guy (200m Free relay) This leaves us with 5 slots to fill with discretionary swimmers, although I'm sure I may have missed someone further up. Currently, I would pick. 26. Freya Anderson 27. Jacob Whittle 28. Jacob Peters 29. James Wilby 30. Lauren Cox Have I missed anyone? Obviously shocks happen but this is the team I would currently take.

Would have won bronze in Fukuoka with that

Anyone know what happened to Sky Carter in the 50m free heats. I think she should be in a swim off for the final, which obviously now would not work, but she has dissappeared from the results.

Agreed, and I’m of the opinion that Freya would be in the top 30 anyway. The aim for Aquatics GB is medals, and so I would 100% put in Freya before Wilby or Bird.

Why not. Injuries happen, and even a not fully fit Freya could still be faster than Medi or Lucy.

Not really, you don’t take a squad of 4 for a medal contending relay.

I nearly had a heart attack.

One can assume she is trying to get as much race practice as possible in large meets, The schedule for these events isn't too bad. 200m free Day 1, 1500m free Day 2, 400m IM Day 3, 400m Free Day 4, 800m Day 6. She would only race once in the 800m and 1500m in the evening session. My guess is she swims the 200m free as a test as where she is at, before changing her schedule based on the 1500m. Freya not swimming the 200m back doesn't surprise me. She said in a podcast that she based her race last year off Katie's last year and wasn't really sure what she was doing. It would have been hard to make the team anyway with Osrin, Shanahan and Harris all competing. Come Paris, Matt Richards would have a big schedule if he qualifies for 50m free with all the relays he will likely be doing, so I guess it would have always been a matter of picking the 50m free or 100m fly. Overall, I'm really looking forward to trials and seeing what the swimmers can do. If James Guy can improve his 200m then the relay world record looks increasingly likely to go. Angharad Evans in the 100m breast could be important for the medley relay. Jacob Peters really impressed me at SC Euros last year, so I'm hoping he can break 51 at trials, same with Ollie Morgan (53 in the 100m back)

Lol, no bias at all. But in all seriousness there are a few countries where if everything went to plan they could win a serious chunk of the Golds. I.e Take any event on their own, and GB are medal contenders in 9/12. All 6 Women's + 3 Men's Endurance. Obviously never going to happen but cycling is one of the sports where if you contend in one you contend in others for the bigger nations.

If this is true, this is really frustrating, you'd think they would at least be able to send a team of development athletes, or even the ones that they don't think are good enough for the olympics despite having qualified.