Two out of the three 50-meter stroke champions from the 2011 World Championships have now failed to qualify for Barcelona title defenses in 2013. First it was the Brazilian breaststroker, and now it is Liam Tancock of the UK, as he was not on their roster of 27 announced athletes for the meet.
Ultimately, even with a limited roster size of 30 for the Brits due to funding restrictions, there was no big conflict, as the team settled under that number. Those taken include Michael Jamieson, who is currently the world-leader in the 200 breaststroke, and Jazmin Carlin, who emerged from a two-year slumber to take the world’s lead in the 800 free as well.
“I was surprised by my swims at the nationals after a couple of ropey months leading into Sheffield,” said Jamieson. “But those performances have given me renewed confidence for the World Championships.
“It’s a very different approach for Britain’s swimmers this year with the trials coming so close to the World Championships but overall I’m pleased with the progress made.
“I now have a training camp where I’ll work on my final preparations and I’m looking forward to challenging for a sub 2:07.00 time in Barcelona.”
The biggest shock might be the lack of an obvious foursome for a men’s 400 free relay. With young British sprinters Adam Brown and Benjamin Proud swimming very well, the Brits didn’t take the 4th-place finisher in the 100 free James Disney-May, so that will be no free relay unless they use someone else in that 4th position.
The women are in the same boat, as only the winner from the 100 free final (Fran Halsall) is on the roster, while Jessica Lloyd Rebecca Turner, Grace Vertigans, and Emma Wilkins are not.
Even in the women’s 800 free relay, where the Brits were 5th at the Olympics last year, only event winner Eleanor Faulkner is on the roster. They could likely still cobble together a good 800 between Faulkner, Carlin, Hannah Miley, and another 4th option, but Turner’s inclusion on the roster could have filled out two very good relays.
And finally, Michael Rock from Liverpool has been accepted on the strength of a 51.9 in the 100 fly; odds are he can have a bonus swim in the 200 fly, despite swimming only prelims and scratching his way out of semi-finals. British Swimming has opted against taking veteran Joe Roebuck, who missed the qualifying standard by .01 seconds – a standard faster than the one set by FINA – in his only event at this meet.
One relay that should swim, and quite well, would be the men’s 400 medley relay. With Chris Walker-Hebborn taking over the mantle as the team’s primary backstroker, Jamieson and Rock swimming so well, and with Brown coming back to a peak now working with Brett Hawke at Auburn again, that’s a relay with top-5 potential. With another few years of maturation, perhaps a medal for Rio is in sight.
- Adam Brown – Hatfield/Auburn
- Daniel Fogg – British Gas ITC Loughborough
- James Guy – Millfield
- Michael Jamieson – British Gas ITC Bath
- Ieuan Lloyd – City of Cardiff
- Craig McNally – Warrender
- Ross Murdoch – British Gas ITC Stirling
- Roberto Pavoni – British Gas ITC Loughborough
- Ben Proud – Plymouth Leander
- Robbie Renwick City of Glasgow
- Michael Rock City of Liverpool
- Jak Scott British Gas ITC Stirling
- Chris Walker-Hebborn British Gas ITC Bath
- Daniel Wallace – Warrender
- Josh Walsh – British Gas ITC Stirling
- Andrew Willis – British Gas ITC Bath
- Sophie Allen – British Gas ITC Bath
- Jazmin Carlin – British Gas ITC Swansea
- Georgia Davies – British Gas ITC Swansea
- Eleanor Faulkner – City of Sheffield
- Francesca Halsall – British Gas ITC Loughborough
- Jemma Lowe – British Gas ITC Swansea
- Siobhan-Marie O’Connor – British Gas ITC Bath
- Hannah Miley – Garioch
- Lauren Quigley – Stockport Metro
- Amy Smith – British Gas ITC Loughborough
- Aimee Willmott – Middlesbrough
And no Sliwinski after swimming a national record in the 50 breast?!
Did Bowman in his consulting to the British tell them they had to find a way to fund a full team as the US has always done. This at least keeps a clean goal and not sitting home even if qualified under FINA rules. What if they raised there own money. In years ago the US had swimmers 4th at trials who could have finaled but at least the rule was three entries. These countries are not helping creating an atmosphere to encourage everyone. Would enjoy seeing what he told them they should try to do. Did he explain that the membership of swimmers contributes half of the operating budget of Us swimming and what the USOC spends or Colleges,… Read more »
Completely agree with you. I simply cannot understand how money can be an issue in case like this and in the same time for example bunch of low football league mediocre players earn thousands. It blows my mind. It’s insulting to the sport and its athletes.
But it is an issue. All nations post Olympic games need to cut the funding down to size. also GB is not the only team that set higher time standards .
If Tancock is not their top backstroker then that is tough but time moves on.
2014 sees the Comm Games in somewhere in Britain & that is a bigger aim & the beginning of the serious Rio buildup.
Nationally GB has imposed significant budget cuts of public programmes rather than Quantative Easing & financial indexes are improving .
In all fields efficiency brings results.
Well and this is the part which I don’t understand. Why the cuts? We are talking about a small group of elite athletes The social system in UK in my opinion almost encourage people to sit on their bums and collect benefits. I don’t understand why money can be found to fund people who clearly have no desire to put in any work in and it is so hard to find funds for the elite athletes who’s been working hard all their life. I don’t get how this can guarantee the future progress of the sport, the results. As a matter a fact that’s a completely different subject. There is a proper structure required, starting from the age groupers and… Read more »
Jess Lloyd isn’t on the roster is she?
I cannot believe they did not take Joe Roebuck….way to discourage anyone…
All that effort, just to be kicked in the teeth! It shows that the Brits have it wrong AGAIN!!!
the only 50 meter WC who will go is Cielo in the end..
Can´t believe Tancock is out.. Felipe had a surgery… but what happened to Liam?
…he will probably end up going…
The chances are that British Swimming are waiting for all these people to slug it out in an appeals process. I bet they already know which 3 they are taking (as long as they appeal, I guess), and then will rest their decision on that process.
If only they had left the numbers (max team size) at the original 36. Tut. Tut.