Richards Slices More Time Off SCM 100 Free British Record For 45.85

2022 SWIM ENGLAND WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, December 2nd – Sunday, December 4th
• Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield, England
• SCM (25m)
• Day 1 Recap
• Live Results

Matt Richards already wowed the crowd at Ponds Forge with a British Record in the morning heats of the men’s 100m free but the Millfield athlete did it again in tonight’s final.

Competing in the prelims of the men’s 100m freestyle, 19-year-old Richards fired off a new lifetime best and British national record of 45.94. His time deducted .03 off the previous British standard of 45.97 Ben Proud put on the books way back in 2015.

However, en route to gold this evening, Richards managed to slice more time off his AM achievement, ultimately touching in a mark of 45.85.

His morning outing consisted of splits of 22.18 on the way out and 23.78 on the way home. Tonight, Richards took it out at a blistering split of 21.98 before registering 23.87 on the back half for the 45.85 British standard.

Entering this meet, Richards held a personal best of 46.58. Today represents the first time the Millfield swimmer delved under the 46-second threshold. He represents just the 2nd British man to accomplish that feat.

All-Time British SCM 100 Freestyle Male Performers

1. Matt Richards, 45.85 2022
2. Ben Proud, 45.97 2015
3. Duncan Scott, 46.09 2019
4. Adam Brown, 46.75 2009
5. Craig Gibbons, 46.90 2009

With the 2022 FINA Short Course Championships on the horizon, Richards’ prelim time of 45.85 now ranks him #4 in the world, sitting only behind world record holder Kyle Chalmers of Australia, Maxime Grousset of France and Kliment Kolesnikov of Russia.

Richards’ morning outing would have rendered him the 4th place finisher in Abu Dhabi at last year’s Short Course World Championships.

Richards recently made the training base move to Millfield and the change appears to have given the teen a performance boost. Last month, Richards swam three new lifetime bests at the South West Regional Championships, including breaking two Welsh Records. 

Prior to Millfield, he trained from September 2020 to September 2021 at Bath under Jol Finck, and then from September 2021 through long course Worlds under Dave McNulty (also at Bath).