2022 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, April 5th – Sunday, April 10th
- Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships & Commonwealth Games-qualifying competition
- British Swimming 2022 Budapest Selection Policy
- Commonwealth Games Selection Policies vary by home nation
- SwimSwam Preview
- Draft Entries
- Live Results
- Livestream
We’re nearly halfway through the British Swimming Championships already, with today marking a huge sprint day for those vying for World Championships and Commonwealth Games roster spots.
The women’s 50m free was on this morning’s heats’ agenda, as was the men’s 100m free, while the women’s 200m fly and men’s 400m IM/1500m free were also on the schedule.
Women’s 50m Freestyle Top 8
Right off the bat, we saw Anna Hopkin roared to the wall first in the women’s 50m free, clocking the only sub-25 second time of the field
Reaching the time pad in 24.95, the former Arkansas Razorback landed lane 4 and will be flanked by Yale’s/Brompton’s Isabella Hindley and Evelyn Davis of Bromley. Hindley stopped the clocked in 25.51 while Davis, just 17 years of age, sneaked in for 25.64 and the 3rd seed.
Hopkin ranks as GBR’s #2 swimmer of all time in this event, owning a lifetime best of 24.34 to sit only behind national record holder Fran Halsall and her mark of 23.96 from 2014.
As for Hindley and Davis, they own PBs of 25.13 and 25.27, respectively, so they’ll need to have the race of their lives to get near the British Swimming-mandated qualification standard of 24.35.
Men’s 400m IM Top 8
Duncan Scott, the most decorated Scottish Olympic athlete, checked in with a solid 4:17.51 to lead the men’s 400m IM by over 4 seconds.
That’s within striking distance of his newly-minted lifetime best, a time of 4:15.44 he notched just last month in Edinburgh.
Entering that meet, versatile Scott’s lifetime best rested at the 4:20.39 he registered at the 2019 British Universities & Colleges (BUCS) Championships. As such, Scott hacked nearly 5 solid seconds off of that previous outing to rank as Great Britain’s 10th fastest man ever in this LCM 400 IM event.
Women’s 200m Fly Top 8
Loughborough’s fly ace Laura Stephens threw down a statement swim with the only sub-2:10 result of the field.
Splitting 1:02.01/1:07.69, Stephens clinched lane 4 ahead of Scottish national record holder Keanna Macinnes who hit 2:11.17 while mid-distance freestyler Holly Hibbott notched a time of 2:12.52 as the 3rd fastest swimmer of the morning.
Stephens has been as fast as 2:07.04 to rank as Great Britain’s 4th fastest swimmer of all time in this event, a time she’ll need to get near to hit the 2:07.91 GBR qualification standard.
Men’s 100m Free Top 8
No one held back in the heats of the men’s 100m free, as the top 3 swimmers already dove under the 49-second mark to open the event.
Firing off a monster 48.15, former University of South Carolina swimmer Lewis Burras scorched a new lifetime best.
The 21-year-old opened in 22.70 and closed in 25.45 to knock .30 off of his previous career-quickest time of 48.45. That mark was registered just recently while competing at the aforementioned Edinburgh International Swim Meet.
Burras, who is coached by former World Record holder Zoe Baker, has been on the upswing since under her tutelage as of his comeback in June of last year. Already at a local meet in December, the man put up his quickest 50m free time to date, a mark of 21.79 which rendered him as GBR’s 2nd fastest performer in history.
His 48.15 now ranks him as the #3 swimmer in history for Great Britain in the men’s 100m free.
British Men’s All-Time Top 100m Freestyle Performers
- Duncan Scott, 47.87 2019
- Jacob Whittle, 48.11 2021
- Lewis Burras, 48.15 2022
- Simon Burnett, 48.20 2008
- Matt Richards, 48.23 2021
But Burras doesn’t have the win in the bag, as he’ll be competing against a host of Olympians in Jacob Whittle, Matt Richards, Tom Dean and more.
At just 17 years of age, Whittle produced a morning swim of 48.36, a mark within .25 of his own personal best and English national record. Dean was also super strong, with the reigning 200m free Olympic gold medalist hitting 48.57 to sit within .27 of his 48.30 lifetime best.
In the meantime, Burras once again tops the men’s overall world rankings for 2022 in this event, giving him a big confidence boost in his quest for World Championships qualification.
MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE WORLD RANKINGS – 2022
| RANK | TIME | SWIMMER | MEET | DATE |
| 1 | 48.15 | Lewis Burras (GBR) | British Swimming Championships | 04/07/22 |
| 2 | 48.34 | Maxime Grousset (FRA) | Meeting Des Hortillons | 1/21/22 |
| 3 | 48.42 | Hwang Sunwoo (KOR) | 2022 Korean Swimming Trials | 3/26/22 |
| 4 | 48.45 | Lewis Burras (GBR) | Edinburgh International Swim Meet | 3/13/22 |
| 5 | 48.5 | David Popovici (ROU) | 2022 Romanian Championships | 3/25/22 |
Did he even finish school at South Carolina ?
Maxime Grousset went 48.09 at French Championships prelim.
Burras-Whittle-Scott-Dean/Guy/Richards… ok hello potential World medal!
I’m guessing Richards isn’t rested because he’s preselected and he normally drops time for important meets? (Or he took it easy this morning idk)
I think this evening reveal more but can’t see Richards not being rested…
Scott keeping his powder dry on this and racing 400IM may see his British Record broken tonight.
It’s Litchfield’s record isn’t it? 4.09 won’t be easy.
I was referring to his own 100Free record…
Aha!
Not Guy but otherwise yes. How does Scott justify his place as medley anchor if he doesn’t swim the individual? I would still want to pick him as his performances over the past six years justify it but if others keep improving surely he will need to swim the 100 at trials in 2023/4.
They can use the Worlds 4x100Free to determine who swims that leg, assuming that team is selected and Scott wants to swim it.
Would be shocked if he wasn’t on 4×100 free relay so they would probably justify it from whatever he swims on that
Why not Guy? He consistently splits 47 point in relays. He could lose his place because competition has become fierce but I don’t think you can discount him out of hand.
Sorry, but everyone should earn his spot.
You don’t think Duncan Scott has “earned” a spot? Six Olympic medals, countless great anchor swims, British record holder. I think he’s earned a bit of flexibility at least.
Competitions exist to determine who is the best on the day. You gotta prove yourself each year and give everyone a fair selection process.
Before 2018 nationals, Dressel for example was projected to do crazy things in the big pool after his SCY campaign. Well guess what, he injured himself in June and he barely made top 6 in the 100 free.
That’s why most countries have trials to determine who is ON. Injuries happen and youngsters emerge at any point and time.
I think it’s a little different for the US than for smaller countries. I don’t think we have a hidden battery of 47 second sprinters. No one is suggesting that GB selects Scott at the expense of someone who swims well at the trials. But if he’s swimming well in general, and given what we know about his 100 pedigree, why would you leave him out of the relay if he’s clearly one of the 4 fastest? Did Phelps ever swim the 100 free at the trials? Seemed to be selected for the relay often enough anyway…
Plus England will need Guy for the Commies. No Scott or Richards. Not sure they can beat the Aussies without them, though Burras, Whittle, Guy, Dean is not at all bad.
I can’t remember the last time Guy split 47. He was 48.0 in Tokyo though. I don’t think 48.0 is good enough for a medal winning relay at Worlds or Olympics (could be helpful in prelims).
His 100 Fly and 200 Free relay performances have always been exceptional and he is a big part of GBs relay success. I just don’t think he has the speed for 100 free.
I think they could potentially use Guy in the heats. Maybe not tho.
I think the team will be Scott-Burras-Whittle-Dean/Richards
Scott has obviously split 47.0 and lower basically every year. Burras just went 48.15 and just keeps getting faster. Whittle is only 17 and went 48.11 last year and 47.50 on a relay split. And then Richards has gone 48.2 while Dean has gone 48.3 and on a relay could definitely blast at very least a 47-high split.
To be fair, he hasn’t done many 100s period. The last time he went sub 48, was, as far as I can tell, the second to last time he swam one at all, which was the 2019 Worlds (47.73). He was 48.03 in Tokyo, but you’d think given his overall form there, he’s have gone faster in the final had they made it. If he’s on form in general at the worlds there’s no reason to think he cant go 47 point. Whether that’s top 4 in GB anymore is another question.
47.92 at 2021 Europeans and 47.7 twice (heat and final) at 2019 worlds
Super swims – but let’s not get over-excited!! Look at the performances in the Brazilian champs – 8 under 49s if I recall correctly, and then you’ve got the US, Ozzies and the French. No good swimming a world record and coming in 4th…
Felipe Ribeiro went 48,41 on Prelims just now