2024 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (OLYMPIC TRIALS)
- Tuesday, April 2nd – Sunday, April 7th
- Prelims at 10 am local (5 am EDT), Finals at 7 pm local (2 pm EDT)
- London Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- British Swimming Olympic Selection Policy
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview
- Entries
- Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
- Results
- Livestream: Channel 4 Youtube coverage
Day two of the 2024 Aquatics GB Olympic Trials saw 20-year-old Oliver Morgan bust out another head-turning swim in the men’s 100m backstroke.
The budding Birmingham star crushed a time of 52.87 in this morning’s heat, easily taking the top seed and establishing a big-time new personal best.
Morgan opened in 25.54 and closed in 27.33 to put up the first sub-53-second outing of his career.
Entering this competition, Morgan’s lifetime best rested at the 53.25 he produced at the 2023 World Championships. He also logged a similar time of 53.31 at this year’s British Universities & Colleges (BUCS) Championships, proving that PB wasn’t a fluke.
Now, with this 52.87 result, Morgan frog hops Olympian Christopher Walker-Hebborn to become the #2 British performer of all time and just the 3rd man ever from GBR to crack the 53-second barrier in the 100m back.
Top 5 British Men’s LCM 100 Backstroke Performers All-Time
- Liam Tancock – 52.73, 2009
- Oliver Morgan – 52.87, 2024
- Christopher Walker-Hebborn – 52.88, 2015
- Luke Greenbank – 53.34, 2021
- Jonathon Adam – 53.45, 2023
Morgan will need to repeat this caliber of performance to hold off a talented field and also clear the Aquatics GB-mandated selection standard of 53.68.
Carnegie’s Jonny Marshall pumped out a time of 53.47, a huge lifetime best in its own right. Florida Gator Marshall previously owned a PB of 54.36 from earlier this year but dropped nearly a second en route to capturing the 2nd seed.
Then there’s Bath’s Matthew Ward, the 18-year-old SCM 100 back Scottish national record holder who captured 4 individual golds at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Ward stopped the clock in 54.21 to slice .20 off his lifetime best and .01 off the previous Scottish national record in this LCM edition.
Olympic bronze medalist Luke Greenbank lurks as the 4th seed in 54.22 to up the ante even more for tonight’s final.
Men’s 100m Back Top 8:
- Oliver Morgan (Birmingham) – 52.87
- Jonny Marshall (Carnegie) – 53.47
- Matthew Ward (Bath) – 54.21 *British Age Record
- Luke Greenbank (Loughborough) – 54.22
- Brodie Williams (Bath) – 54.41
- Jonathon Adam (Bath) – 54.68
- Alexander Painter (Millfield) – 54.71
- Charlie Brown (Loughborough) – 54.95
Paris is quite fierce, the United States four swimming strength is very strong, Chinese netizens are most worried about butterfly, our butterfly and other countries still have a gap, I hope the trials have a different mental outlook, the other three bars are in the individual strength of the championship players, the main difference is in butterfly, now the British men’s backstroke has been 53 seconds below, Italy is also the world champion in 22 years, the men’s medley relay in Paris will be quite exciting
Paris is quite fierce, the United States four swimming strength is very strong, Chinese netizens are most worried about butterfly, our butterfly and other countries still have a gap, I hope the trials have a different mental outlook, the other three bars are in the individual strength of the championship players, the main difference is in butterfly, now the British men’s backstroke has been 53 seconds below, Italy is also the world champion in 22 years, and the men’s medley relay in Paris will be quite exciting
Paris is quite fierce, the United States four swimming strength is very average, Chinese netizens are most worried about butterfly, our butterfly and other countries still have a gap, I hope the trials have a different mental outlook, the other three bars are in the individual strength of the championship players, the main difference is in butterfly, now the British men’s backstroke has been 53 seconds below, Italy is also the world champion in 22 years, and the men’s medley relay in Paris will be quite exciting
If only this guy was around during the Olympics, the Brits would have their gold medal. In all seriousness, their medley relay is looking good.
I’d rather believe that atm the Italians are ahead of us with ceccon martinenghi Miressi and codia/burdisso, so come Paris we surprise them, lol…
Italian fly leg is too weak, back and breast are about even or a very slight advantage to the Italians, but I’d trust Alexy to hold off Miressi going in with a lead.
lol..by we I meant Team GB
I think he was talking about GB vs ITA for Bronze.
Think its currently looking a 4 way fight. USA/ITA/CHN & now GBR.
Probably read it as tilt USA but the days of them thinking that relay a “gimme/turn up and collect Gold” are certainly over. TBH, the men’s relays look brutal; not only to pick winner/podiums but to make finals. Any team who gets too “cute” with their heats selection are liable to get bitten hard in the hindquarters.
I think with US allot will depend on Dressel’s fly form. If he can say get within half a second of his PB on the 100 fly by Paris then you would still have to favour US.
The other big nations all have weaknesses in this area, unless Guy is somehow able to get back to his Tokyo relay standards – standards that he sacrificed his own indervidual performances for.
Half a second and that is 50 flat cause that is definitely possible
I don’t think any events especially the relays at the Olympics is easy for the US and it’s just that they usually turn up especially on the last day of the meet to performed really well on the medleys relay especially on the men’s side.
What about France? Yoyo Marchand Manaudou Grousset looking solid too.
Lose too much on the breaststroke (even with Marchand)
Indeed. His 100 isn’t fast enough.
Main problem is more the free than the breast. Marchand can split a low 58 in Paris, I do not see a 47 in free.
He would be much faster if he did not swim so close to the lane rope in his final 10m.
The British Medley Relay Gods woke up feeling dangerous
Under the radar: An almost 2s PB for Alex Painter (2004) to make the 100bk final – He hasn’t raced backstroke much in the past couple of years, in fact only once – last month when he set his previous PB (56.59). He is more known as a great freestyler (22.3/49.3) and might be a dark-horse to join Millfield clubmates Matt Richards and James Guy on British relays in the years to come.
Millfield, Mt Kelly and Leeds having very strong meets so far. C&W also looking good. Bath looking a little hit & miss.
Painter will be joining Marshall at Florida in the fall too.
Is Mt Kelly in Tavistock ?