This week sees the GB long course championships incorporating the English Commonwealth trials. Taking place in the commonwealth pool, this event also gives swimmers from the other home nations a chance to impress their own selectors on the road back to Manchester 2002.
Undoubtedly, however, all eyes will be on the performance of those aiming for English selection. Bill Sweetenham has again laid down tough selection guidelines and this year, unlike selection for last years world championships, only performances at the trials will count. This means that swimmers will have to perform on the day to ensure their place on the team with only the winners of each event guaranteed a place, and then only if they make the qualifying time. This will certainly lead to much exciting and tight racing across the week, as every tenth of a second will count.
Of particular interest will be the performance of those swimmers recently returned from the world short course championships in Moscow. Whilst Alison Sheppard must surely be a shoe in for a place in the Scottish team when it is announced, Mark Foster and James Hickman, will hope to gain the chance to defend their titles won in Kuala Lumpur, and Zoe Baker will aim to prove that she is a genuine contender in the 100 as well as 50 breaststroke. Foster will also be looking for selection in the 50 fly, the event in which he won a long course world championship bronze. Whether their efforts in Moscow will overshadow their performances here remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, pullbuoy swimmer of the year Sarah Price will be looking for selection to all three backstroke events, aiming to improve her 7th place in the 100m from Kuala Lumpur but will have to overcome defending Commonwealth 200m champion Katy Sexton to achieve this. Other races to look out for include the men’s 200m free, where an tantalising showdown between Palmer, Sinclair and Salter is in prospect, and women’s 200 free, where Nicola Jackson will have to better the experienced Karen Pickering to ensure her place on the team.
So in the now customary pullbuoy fashion, here’s who we think will be booking their Commonwealth games places this week for the English team. We’ll look at the other home nations in due course, once their selection deadlines have become nearer.
Event |
Men |
Women |
50 freestyle |
Mark Foster Matthew Kidd |
Ros Brett Janine Belton |
100 freestyle |
Matthew Kidd Alex Scotcher |
Ros Brett Karen Pickering |
200 freestyle |
Paul Palmer Jamie Salter |
Nicola Jackson Karen Pickering Karen Legg |
400 freestyle |
Jamie Salter Ed Sinclair |
Rebecca Cooke |
800 freestyle |
Rebecca Cooke Holly Fox |
|
1500 freestyle |
Adam Faulkner |
|
50 Backstroke |
Neil Willey |
Sarah Price Katy Sexton |
100 backstroke |
Adam Ruckwood |
Sarah Price Katie Sexton |
200 backstroke |
Simon Militis |
Sarah Price Jo Fargus |
50 Breastroke |
James Gibson Darren Mew |
Zoe Baker |
100 breastroke |
Adam Whitehead Darren Mew James Gibson |
Jaime King Heidi Earp Kate Haywood |
200 breastroke |
Adam Whitehead Darren Mew |
Jamie King Heidi Earp |
50 Butterfly |
Mark Foster |
Ros Brett |
100 butterfly |
James Hickman Steve Parry |
Georgina Lee Margaretha Pedder |
200 butterfly |
James Hickman Steve Parry Robert Greenwood |
Margaretha Pedder Georgina Lee |
200 I.M |
Robin Francis James Goddard |
Sarah Whewell |
400 I.M |
Robin Francis |
Holly Fox |