2021 BRITISH SWIMMING SELECTION TRIALS
- Wednesday, April 14th – Sunday, April 18th
- Prelims at 10am local/Finals at 7pm local
- London Aquatics Centre
- British Olympic Selection Policy
- Primary Olympic Selection Meet (not only opportunity)
- Event Page
- Entries
- Live Stream
- Live Results
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
The 2021 British Selection Trials continue to impress at the London Aquatics Centre with this morning’s preliminaries now in the books leading into Friday’s PM finals session. Yesterday night, six more Brits swam under the Olympic selection standard, giving the selection committee 11 total swims to choose from for representation at the Olympics after two days of competition. Tonight at 7pm British time/11am Pacific/1pm Central/2pm Eastern, the finals of the men’s 400 IM, women’s 200 fly, men’s 100 free, women’s 400 free, and men’s 200 breast will take place. But first, here’s this morning’s prelims highlights:
Day 3 Prelims Highlights
After placing 3rd in the 200 IM final on Wednesday, Loughborough’s Max Litchfield nabbed the top men’s 400 IM seed at 4:14.67, the only sub-4:20 swim of the session. Litchfield needs to drop 1.2s in order to meet Britain’s selection standard of 4:13.47. Rounding out the top three times were Bath NC’s Jacob Greenow (4:20.13) and Loughborough’s Charlie Hutchison (4:20.42).
Another individual 3rd-place finisher grabbing the top seed heading into finals was Swansea’s Alys Thomas, who improved from 3rd in the 100 fly to leading the women’s 200 fly prelims at 2:09.02, a meager 0.02s ahead of Plymouth’s Laura Stephens (2:09.04). The British standard to punch the ticket to Tokyo is a 2:08.32, seven-tenths faster than Thomas and Stephens. Also breaking 2:10 was Bath NC’s Emily Large (2:09.64).
Immediately swimming under the Olympic qualifying standard of 48.35 was pre-selected Olympian Stirling’s Duncan Scott in the men’s 100 free, grabbing the top seed at 48.19. Bath NC teammates Thomas Dean (48.53) and Matthew Richards (48.78) rounded out the top three times, with Dean being the closest to the 48.35 selection standard. Placing fourth was 200 IM runner-up Joe Litchfield of Loughborough (48.90) while 16-year-old Jacob Whittle of Derventio hit fifth at 49.31.
Cruising to the women’s 400 free top seed was Bath NC’s Holly Hibbott, registering a morning swim of 4:14.07. The British qualification time sits at a swift 4:05.96. Hibbott’s lifetime best came from the 2018 European Championships, hitting the No. 4 British swim all-time of 4:05.01. At the 2016 Olympics, Jazmin Carlin earned Olympic silver with a 4:01.23, No. 3 all-time in British history. Teammate Leah Crisp placed second this morning at 4:15.50.
While Adam Peaty and James Wilby were pre-selected for the 100 breast, Stirling breaststroker Ross Murdoch has a shot at punching his ticket to Tokyo in the men’s 200 breast after swimming 2:09.90 for the top finals seed. Murdoch only needs to shave 0.85s from this morning to hit Britain’s standard of 2:09.05. He owns the British record at 2:07.30 from the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Loughborough’s Wilby placed second this morning at 2:10.29.
In the live stream someone from british swimming said that their goal (in Tokyo) is to win more medals than in Rio, so 7 medals at least. Any thoughts on the probability of that happening? Who are the favorites for those 7 medals?
If we’re looking at opportunities, say people you’d expect to finish top 5, currently I’d class that as Peaty, Wilby, Scott x2, Renshaw, Dawson, Wood, 3x relays… so ten… You’d aim for half of them hitting as a minimum, so call it 5, and that’s the kind of area I expect GB to finish, 6 medals give or take. Plausible enough, but not easy.
Only halfway through trials though, lets see where we end up on Sunday.
Not sure if i would say that i expect the men’s 400 free relay (ahead at least one out of Brazil/Italy/Australia) or Wood in the 200 IM (ahead at least 3 out of McKeown, Ye Shiwen, Hosszu, Margalis, Pickrem, 2nd american, Ohashi) to finish top 5. Obviously it wouldn’t be a shock, but i also don’t see it as a lock.
I assume Dee’s 3 relays are men’s 4×1 medley, men’s 4×2 free and the mixed medley.
Ok, in that case i agree. After today’s events GB might actually be the favorite for bronze in the men’s 400 free relay. Whittle and Richards are almost guaranteed to improve until Tokyo and then you will have 1 guy at sub 48 and 3 guys between 48 and 48.5. I think on paper GB could/should be faster than Italy/Brazil. The big question mark is Australia. If they can get 3 guys (Chalmers excluded) to sub 48.5, then they would probably still be favored over GB. I also think that GB now can afford to rest Scott in prelims. Dean/Whittle/Richards + Litchfield/Proud should be enought to make the final.
Who could medal.
Scott – 200 Free/200IM I think, 100 is yet to be seen
Men 4×200 and men Medley
Peaty is a lock
women 200 breast
Maybe women medley and women back, definetly mixed medley with Dawson, Greenbank 200 back is a long shot..
That includes relays so id say Mens 100 breast 1 mens medley are probable. Mens 4×200 + 200im + 200 free + Wilby in 100 breast then Womens 200 Breast + 100 back are reasonable chances. Thats 8 there.
If you then add in Kathleen Dawson To the mixed medley and Jones to the womens medley, both relays would have come 4th or above in 2019 (If you put in any of Anderson’s other splits rather than the one she swam in the final). Womans 200 IM, mens 200 Back, mens/ Womans 200 fly, and Mens 4×100 free and maybe even Hopkin/ Anderson are all unlikely outside chances but could happen
I think this is the best olympic squad GB… Read more »
I see absolutely no chance that their women’s medley relay wins a medal, would be a historic upset.
Usa, Canada and Australia are absolutely favourites but If you out in their times GB Italy and Russia are next group of countries. I said they are outside chances but you cannot completely discredit any country outside the top 3 as DQs and Bad swims exist. Australia and Canada have unreliable breaststroke legs so its not a 0% chance that no one eose could medal.
It is quite surprising that GB actually has a realistic chance to beat Italy, China and Russia (although i still would favor China over GB). The other 3 nations are definitely in another league. Realistically their only shot is one out of Australia/USA/Canada getting disqualified and the chinese women not being at their best.
Potential Medals:
Men: 50, 100, 200, 1500 Free
200 Back
100 Breast
200 IM
4×200, 4×100 Medley
Women: 200 Free
100 Back
200 Breast
There could be medals in a handful of other events too, but I reckon these ones you can make a fairly good argument for.
I really can´t see Proud as a potential medallist.. 100 free I will wait for this afternoon.
men 1500 free? Not at all. GBR long distance are leagues behind Paltrineti Wellbrock and Romanchuck
Women 200 free: Unless Freya shows she can go 1:54 not at all.
But I would add mixed medley now.
Yeah fair enough about women’s 200, and also, yes, Proud hasn’t been at his 2018 level.
I do think the 1500 is the dark horse event for GB though. I think Jervis is going to PB at this meet and then contend for the Bronze in Tokyo.
Are you trolling? Medal chances in men’s 1500 free?
Also women’s 200 free? Really?
Lukas Märtens went 14:49 last weekend (while being clearly younger than all the british guys) and Isabel Gose went practically the same time as Anderson (while being more than a year younger than her) and still i would only consider them fringe finals contenders at best.
I agree with your take on the 1500 100%. Jervis time and time again fails at international meets outside commonwealths but i haven’t seen a single time that Anderson hasn’t stepped up since 2018 Euros. She beat Pelligrini and Heemskerk at Euros Sc and finalled in the 100 at her first worlds. Shes alwasy got faster between nationals and the big meet. In no way am i under the impression shes probable for a medal but she cant be compared to Gose who has never won a medal at any international level just because she swam a good time. When Gose rises to the occasion at a big meet ill be the first to change my opinion and take this… Read more »
I think Freya can finals..
but then we have Haughey, Titmus, Ledecky, Junxuan, Mckeon, Pellegrini can surprise at all times who are ahead at least for medal contention.
Agreed
Also possibly the two canadians, maybe a second chinese and Schmitt.
Gose won 4 or 5 golds at 2019 junior european championships while setting a big PB of 1.3 seconds in the 200 free and also setting PBs in the 100 and 400 free. In 2019 she focused on junior european championships and only swam the relay at 2019 worlds, apart from that she had no chance to prove herself on the global stage at senior level in long-course. After the 2019 european junior championships she joined the same training group as Köhler/Wellbrock/Märtens, so i am optimistic that she will be in top shape in Tokyo. Personally i don’t even think that she will swim the 200 free in Tokyo (instead she will probably focus on the 400/800 free where she… Read more »
Would be interesting to know why people downvoted my comment above? I would be genuinely interested to know why it is seen as “controversial”?
Weird how james guy does the 100 fly but not the 100 free
I think necessity is part of that. 2015/16 is when he started doing 100 fly properly because GB had Walker-Hebborn, Peaty and Proud/ Scott but no true international Fly swimmmer – Barratt was the best but not olympic final worthy. Guy saw the open spot and went for it. He’s now an Olympic/ Commonwealth Silver and World/ European Gold medalist in the medley relay because of that. If your winning at somthing why trade it for something that wont do as well (Men’s 4×100 free)
Best comment I’ve seen 👌🏻
I’d also like to think that the 200 free main event plus great focus on the 100 fly (not forgetting world bronze and a nice pb of 50.6) helped to translate into his 100 free as he split 47 on the relay in Gwangju.
After tonight’s performance GB can send a 4×1 free team, plug guy in the heats given his stronger current form (to rest Scott too, he’s gonna need it lol) and see if he can split his way to a final. Richards going 48.2 to get considered for individual, plus whittle, Litchfield and Dean, I think it’s feasible
If Jimmy Guy goes 50. In the 100 fly tomorrow, surly the 4×100 medley is GBs????
Not with a 54s backstroker.
hmmmm
peaty has been 56.5 in a relay,
Scott 46.1 in a relay
Jimmy guy 50.4 in a relay
if the backstroker goes 54 that’s 3.27.0 lol I’m pretty sure peaty and guy will go quicker.
Agree Peaty will do something ridiculous, but we can’t expect another 46.1 anchor.
Tbf, Greenbank has a pretty nasty looking injury so for him to do 54.1 is not that bad, I think he could do a 53.5 come tokyo which I know is still shit but with Peaty (who could do a 56.0 relay split come Tokyo, Guy (who is arguably in his best form since 2017 and is an excellent relay swimmer) and Scott ( who is in the best form of his life), I think GB has a really good shot of beating the US (and Russia) come Tokyo.
Tbf if you put in context 54.12 from Greenbank with a sprained ankle isn’t bad, will easily be faster in the summer
Only if GB can go 3:26
Duncan looks good. Expect a big meet from him in Tokyo
Those 100 free heats have me salivating over the 200 on Sunday. Litchfield, Kurle and Dean dropped a combined 2s on their PBs. Matt Richards looked to have something left in the tank, and I’d take him to finish 2nd to Duncan tonight. My only slight frustration is the 200 being the very last event of the week (again!), leaving athletes vulnerable to fatigue.
You can probably risk resting Duncan for 4×1 heats now too, which is a bonus for him personally. Separately, does anybody know what’s up with Burras? AWOL since his 48.5 in 2019. Such a talented swimmer.
I’d like to see Richards get second, but I don’t see it – I think he went slower in the evening in all his events at both Manchester meets. I hope I’m wrong!
He has history doing that in season, but I can’t find any tapered meets where he didn’t get faster through the rounds. Obviously he’s at Bath now so things may well be a bit different, but I thought he looked very controlled this AM.
And as usual you are on the money! 🙂
Without Scott I think GBR won´t qualify for finals..
It would be a risk, but I don’t see a choice, Scott can’t race everything. Three 48s men this morning + James Guy is a pretty handy team. We’ll see what happens tonight!
Well consider me perched for the 100m freestyle. Hope Scott can drag at least one other under the consideration time!
Also hello GB throwing their hat into the mix for outside bronze medal contention in 4×100 free
Can Chuck Jimmy guy in the mix aswell!!
And Ben Proud for Heats.
Who is their four person relay?
Probably Scott, Dean, Guy and Proud/McLay/Richards/Whittle/Litchfield.
Scott, Guy, Richards, Dean would be my shout
Can probably remove McLay from that equation now. Can’t imagine they would take someone who didnt even make the A final in their only competitive event to Europeans and allow him to swim individually. May do it at the Glascow or other qaulifying meet opportunities though but I’dsay its unlikely.