2016 British Olympic Trials Day 6 Finals Live Recaps

2016 BRITISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS/OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Tuesday, April 12th – Sunday, April 17th
• Tollcross International Swimming Center, Glasgow, Scotland
• Prelims at 10am local/6am EDT; Finals at 6:30pm local/1:30pm EDT
• British Swimming 2016 Olympic Games Selection Policy
• Live Streaming
• DRAFT Psych Sheet
• Start Lists/Results

*Note on Finals Session: The schedule of events will feature three finals – a senior final targeted at the Rio Olympics and European Championships in London, a Target Tokyo Final for potential additions to the European Championship in London and a Junior Final for those looking to qualify for the European Junior Championships in Hungary. For the purposes of this article’s context, we will be reporting on the ‘senior final’ of each event.

If the first place swimmer does not meet or exceed that qualifying time, then the athlete may be considered for selection as long as he/she falls within 2% of the 2nd time listed by each event. Runners-up also must be within 2% of the 2nd qualification time in order to be considered for selection. You can read more about the policy here.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• British Record – 1:06.35, Sophie Taylor (2014)
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 1:06.43
• 2% Consideration – 1:06.94

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor won her third event of the competition taking the women’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:07.15. O’Connor won both the 100 freestyle and 200 IM earlier in the competition. Although she has three victories the only one that she swam faster than the Olympic qualifying time was the 200 IM.

She posted a lifetime best in the final, beating her prelim time of 1:07.19, but was over half a second off of the Olympic standard of 1:06.43.

Sarah Vasey had the lead at the halfway point, turing a time of 31.21, but could not hold off O’Connor in the final 50 meters. Vasey finished second in a time of 1:07.50. She beat her lifetime best of 1:07.92, which she recorded last summer at the British Championships.

200 breaststroke champion Chloe Tutton finished third in a time of 1:07.61.

Top 8 From Finals:

1. Siobhan-Marie O’Connor – 1:07.15
2. Sarah Vasey – 1:07.50
3. Chloe Tutton – 1:07.61
4. Molly Renshaw – 1:08.34
5. Corrie Scott – 1:08.70
6. Kathryn Johnstone – 1:09.14
7. Rachael Wilson – 1:09.24
8. Katie Matts – 1:09.44

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• British Record – 1:55.58, James Goddard (2010)
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 1:55.13
• 2% Consideration – 1:55.91

For many events at the British Trials swimmers have had to put up the swims their lives to qualify for the Olympic team and the 200 backstroke was no different.

Luke Greenbank, who is one of Great Britain’s best young swimmers winning a bronze at the World Championships in Baku in the 100 backstroke, came into the competition with a lifetime best of 1:56.98. Greenbank won the event in a time of 1:57.79, missing the qualifying time of 1:55.13 by almost two seconds.

Xavier Mohammed finished second in a time of 1:58.47 improving on his lifetime best of 1:59.65 that he posted at the Commonwealth Games. Craig McNally finished third in a time of 1:58.63.

Top 8 From Finals:

1. Luke Greenbank – 1:57.79
2. Xavier Mohammed – 1:58.47
3. Craig McNally – 1:58.63
4. Joseph Patching – 1:58.88
5. Joseph Hulme – 2:00.73
6. Brodie Williams – 2:01.30
7. Elliot Clogg – 2:01.68
8. Callum Barrett – 2:02.54

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• British Record – 57.25, Ellen Gandy (2012)
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 57.44
• 2% Consideration – 57.71

Alys Thomas came into the competition with a lifetime best of 59.01 and improved on that in the prelims and once again in the finals. Thomas took the women’s 100 butterfly in a time of 58.66. She missed the Olympic qualifying standard of 57.44 by over a second.

Rachael Kelly, who swam this event at the 2015 World Championships, finished second in a time of 58.72. Kelly was not able to match her prelims time of 58.46.

Jemma Lowe, who also swam this event in Kazan, collected the bronze in a time of 58.89.

Top 8 From Finals:

1. Alys Thomas – 58.66
2. Rachael Kelly – 58.72
3. Jemma Lowe – 58.89
4. Siobhan-Marie O’Connor – 59.45
5. Laura Stephens – 1:00.15
6. Emily Large – 1:00.16
7. Tazmin Pugh – 1:00.43
8. Charlotte Atkinson – 1:00.64

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• British Record – 1:45.14, James Guy (2015)
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 1:45.91
• 2% Consideration – 1:46.68

World Champion James Guy took the men’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:45.19 just missing his British record of 1:45.14, which he posted in Kazan. Guy took the first 100 meters out one one-hundredth of a second slower than his record pace, he turned at the 150 meter mark 24 one-hundredths of second off record pace and in the end missed his national record by five one-hundredths of a second.

• Kazan – 24.53/50.99 (26.46)/1:18.33 (27.34)/1:45.14 (26.81)
• Olympic Trials – 24.50/51.00 (26.50)/1:18.09 (27.09)/1:45.19 (27.10) 

Guy now takes over the top spot in the world rankings beating Kosuke Hagino‘s time of 1:45.50, which he posted earlier this month.

Guy was also under the Olympic qualifying time of 1:45.91.

The race for the silver was a tight one between Stephen Milne, Robbie Renwick, Duncan Scott and Cameron Kurle. Milne hit the wall in a time of 1:47.15, eight one-hundredths of a second ahead of Robbie Renwick who recorded a 1:47.23. He was followed by Scott who touched in a time of 1:47.31. Kurle finished fourth posting a time of 1:47.82.

Top 8 From Finals

1. James Guy – 1:45.19
2. Stephen Milne – 1:47.15
3. Robbie Renwick – 1:47.23
4. Duncan Scott – 1:47.31
5. Cameron Kurle – 1:47.82
6. Ieuen Lloyd – 1:48.23
7. Daniel Wallace – 1:48.50
8. Nicholas Grainger – 1:48.53