It was a day for the preselected swimmers in Sheffield as James Wilby and Anna Hopkin were the only competitors to make the GB selection standard. There was a maiden British title for Katie Shanahan in the 200m backstroke while at the other end of the spectrum James Guy won his 20th in the 100 fly. Here’s a selection update.
The British Championships burst into life in dramatic fashion on the third night courtesy of a stunning 400IM British Record form Duncan Scott and a scorching victory in the 100 free from Lewis Burras. Both men leapt to the top of the early season world rankings to lift the atmosphere of the whole meet.
It was a quiet second day in Sheffield in terms of selection for the world championships, with nobody dipping under the required standards. There were however several swimmers putting themselves forward for a spot on one of the home nation’s Commonwealth Games squads.
Proper national competition returned with a bang as the 2022 British Championships kicked off in Sheffield, with places at the Budapest world Championships and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham up for grabs.
One of the beauties of Commonwealth Games year is that it opens the opportunities for many more swimmers to make their mark on the international stage. After a period of treading water for many through the pandemic, they will surely not be the only ones to make a breakthrough, but here are 4 swimmers to keep an eye on in Sheffield this week.