This week sees the beginning of a new era for British swimming, just as the national team heads back to a venue steeped in a recent history of success. The new: the start of Steven Tigg’s tenure as national head coach; the familiar: racing in Budapest’s Duna arena which has seen numerous British medals won and records set and now forms the stage for the 2024 World Short Course swimming championships.

A team of 10 heads to Hungary, but that was to have been 11. The man who might well have been the best hope of gold, Ben Proud has opted out of this meet, having originally been slated to compete. He had gotten back in pretty quickly after Paris with an eye on these championships and told the SwimSwam podcast that he had “unfinished business” for this competition, but has evidently decided to take a longer term view of his return to competitive action.

Behind him, the biggest story could well be the inclusion of Archie Goodburn just months after he revealed a brain tumour diagnosis. Whatever impacts treatment has had on his training, Goodburn showed good form at the recent BUCS short course championships so heads to Budapest hoping to make an impression on the later stages of the racing.

With Proud out, the best hope of a medal might sit with Max Litchfield who will be looking to add the long course world silver he won in Doha back at the start of the year. With no Leon Marchand the 400IM is fairly open and the podium is well within his compass. He’ll also take on the 200IM and the 200m and 400m freestyle.

Amelie Blocksidge and Josh Gammon make senior international debuts, while Freya Anderson is hoping to show that her illness affected season is behind her. The Bath swimmer has an excellent short course pedigree and will feel that finals will be a potential achievement. Her performance centre teammate Jacob Peters will also be seeking redemption of sorts having missed out on a trip to Paris with an off colour Olympic trials.

Of those who did go to Paris, also returning are Ollie Morgan, Abbie Wood, Eva Okaro, and Angharad Evans. Evans rattled the 100m breaststroke SC British record this time last year and smashed through the LC version in the summer, so that record could be seeing out its final days. Evans will swim the full complement of breaststroke events while Okaro, has the chance to build on a promising senior debut in the summer, as she takes on 50s of butterfly and freestyle.

The squad will also perm a full set of mixed, men’s and women’s medley relays from the 10 swimmers on the team.

The US has sent a strong squad to the meet, especially on the women’s side, but the GB team has the chance to pick up a few medals and round off the year in style.

GB Team for Budapest

• Freya Anderson (100m, 200m freestyle)
• Amelie Blocksidge (400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle)
• Angharad Evans (50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke)
• Josh Gammon (100m, 200m butterfly)
• Archie Goodburn (50m, 100m breaststroke)
• Max Litchfield (200m, 400m freestyle, 200m, 400m IM)
• Oliver Morgan (50m, 100m, 200m backstroke)
• Eva Okaro (50m freestyle, 50m butterfly)
• Jacob Peters (50m, 100m butterfly)
• Abbie Wood (200m freestyle, 200m, 400m IM)

How to Follow

Racing kicks off on Tuesday 10th December and runs until Sunday the 15th. Results are on Omegatiming and coverage will be available on Eurovision Sport