A GB team of 17 swimmers will hit the waters at the European Short Course championship in Lublin, Poland this week to round out the international racing season for 2025.

That’s a much smaller team that went to these championships in 20-23 as part of preparations for the Paris Olympics and a 35 strong squad topping the medal table with 23 medals. It’s unlikely we’ll see a repeat of that performance, but there are plenty of medal opportunities around with a number of GB athletes defending their titles.

There are a few interesting things to look out for but first here are the events with GB participation:

Infdividual GB Entries

• Freya Anderson: 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle
• Gregory Butler: 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke
• Freya Colbert: 200m freestyle, 200m IM
• Lauren Cox: 50m backstoke, 100m backstroke
• Tom Dean: 100m IM, 200m breaststroke, 200m IM, 400m IM
• Angharad Evans: 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke
• Luke Greenbank: 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly
• Max Litchfield: 200m freestyle, 200m IM, 400m freestyle, 400m IM
• Jack McMillan: 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle
• Oliver Morgan: 50m backstoke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke
• Filip Nowacki: 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke
• Eva Okaro: 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle
• Emily Richards: 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle
• Matthew Richards: 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle
• Duncan Scott: 200m freestyle, 200m IM, 400m freestyle
• Katie Shanahan: 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m IM, 400m IM
• Jack Skerry: 50m backstoke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke

There are also GB teams entered in both men’s and women’s medley relays and the women’s 4×50 free, but none of the mixed events. Which brings us to some of the main British areas of interest

Can Colbert make it a British Record Double?

Freya Colbert took down the long course British Record over 200m freestyle in Singapore, downing Jo Jacksons previous mark from 2009. She’s now targeting a much more recent mark since at the BUCS chamoinshsips she dropped a 1:52.26 swim that moved her within a few tenths of Freya Anderson’s 2020 record of 1:51.87. That one might be the next to fall to the Loughborough swimmer.

How does Nowacki stack up in senior waters?

He had a golden run through the junior long course season in the summer, taking a host of gold medals and dropping a number of impressive performances, but now Filip Nowacki gets a chance to test himself in the senior ranks. He’ll face up against the new WR holder int eh 200m breaststroke in the shape of Casper Corbeau who became the firs man sub 2minutes at the world cup this year, and while that mark is probably beyond him, there is reason to think the Millfield swimmer could make a mark. He was 2:05.89 SC at the Island Games in the midst of the summer season and the 2:07.35 he posted to win the LC world junior title suggests that he will be faster again here. If nothing else it will be interesting to watch how he acquits himself when no longer the big fish in the pond.

3 or 4 doesn’t go into 2

One of the features of the 2023 meet was the number of GB showdowns in the heats – this competition allows 4 per nation in heats, but only the top 2 to progress. With a smaller team there are far fewer occurrences this time around, with only 7 events boasting more than 2 GB entrants and only one, the men’s 200 free, having a full complement. Two to watch out for are that men’s freestyle as Matt Richards, Duncan Scott and jack McMillan face off for two spots, with Max Litchfield hoping to spoil the party, and the 200m backstroke which sees Luke Greenbank Ollie Morgan and Jack Skerry head to head.

Look for some off stroke relay swims

GB took 5 relay medals from 6 events last time out, even though 50m relays are perhaps not a noted strength. There are only three teams in this time and medals might prove to be a strath but we might see some off stroke swims. On the men’s side there is no recognised flyer on the team, so it seems Matt Richards or Duncan Scott might be pressed into action for the medley relay. For the women’s 4×50 free Freya Anderson and Eva Okaro will no doubt form half of the quartet, but where does the other half come from? Perhaps we will see Lauren Cox and Freya Colbert trying out their raw speed.

You can watch all the action from Lublin on Eurovision Sport

Banner Image: David Damjanovic/European Aquatics.