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2024 Aquatics GB Olympic Trials: Men’s 100 Fly Raises Qualification Questions

2024 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (OLYMPIC TRIALS)

Day four of the 2024 Aquatics GB Olympic Trials brought the heat, with two women dipping under the qualification time in the 200m back while two men accomplished the feat in the 200m IM.

Honey Osrin fired off a time of 2:08.37 to establish a new lifetime best and check in as the 6th-fastest British performer in women’s 2back history.

Katie Shanahan wasn’t far behind, registering 2:08.53 as the runner-up, adding a silver in this event to the 400m IM 2nd place finish earned earlier in the competition.

Then the men’s 200m IM ended the session in style, with Olympic multi-medalist Duncan Scott getting the job done in an impressive 1:55.91.

That outing fell just over half a second outside Scott’s lifetime best and British national record of 1:55.28 notched en route to silver at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Tom Dean also nailed a performance under the Aquatics GB qualification time, touching in 1:56.44 for silver.

The men’s 100m fly event did not go as planned, however, as 25-year-old Joe Litchfield upset the field en route to topping the podium.

Litchfield of Loughborough put up a lifetime best of 51.71 to beat out James Guy and Jacob Peters, the respective #1 and #2 British performers in history.

Unfortunately for Litchfield, he did not dip under the QT of 51.56 mandated by Aquatics GB, nor did his result clear the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 51.67.

As a result, Litchfield has qualified for Paris for the medley relay but the individual men’s 100m fly now has a question mark in terms of who may swim the event at the Olympics.

Peters posted a prelims time of 51.56 today while Guy hit 51.43 at the 2023 World Championships, both under the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut and both logged within the Olympics qualification window.

Guy still has a chance to qualify in the 200m free both individually as well as as a member of the 4x200m free relay. If he indeed qualifies, the Aquatics GB brain trust may see fit to add the individual 100m fly to his Paris repertoire and retain Litchfield as relay-only.

Or, the same powers that be could discretionarily select Peters to the squad for the 1fly.

We’ll have to wait and see how things shake out as the remainder of the competition unfolds.

British Olympic Qualifiers Through Day 4 of Trials

The following swimmers finished 1st in their event and beat the Aquatics GB selection standard:

The following swimmers have provisionally qualified in relays:

Other Qualification Notes

The following swimmers finished 2nd in their event and beat the Aquatics GB selection standard:

The following 1st place finishers did not meet the Aquatics GB selection standard but did meet the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time (‘A’ cut):

  • Kieran Bird – men’s 400m free (3:45.63)

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Alison England
7 months ago

Can Litchfield be trusted on a relay?

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Alison England
7 months ago

Yes.

Jonny
Reply to  Alison England
7 months ago

No he can’t, the amount of times he bottled it in a relay…
He legit went 49.5 in tokyo on mens 4 x 1 free. Pathetic

Thomas Selig
7 months ago

So I make that 21 probable qualifiers if they take all the second-place second finishers who went under the time. Trying to look ahead to who else might make it:
Men’s 800 free: no likely additions
Women’s 100 fly: no likely additions
Men’s 200 breast: Wilby maybe? His 200 hasn’t been that great of late though.
Men’s 50 free: Proud obviously. Second spot very open between Cohoon, Cumberlidge, Painter, Burras. So at least one new name, possibly 2.
Women’s 200 IM: thought this would be between Wood, Colbert, and Shanahan. Shanahan hasn’t looked quite at her best so far, and Leah Schlossan has been looking decent, so could be an upset there. Right now leaning… Read more »

Martin McEvoy
Reply to  Thomas Selig
7 months ago

I can see them taking Whittle, not McMillan. The big fly in the ointment is Anderson, who you have to take if she’s more or less fit. I think Guy gets top 4 in the 200 free, I don’t see the W4x100 doing it.

I say Proud, Evans, Guy and Greenbank will force their hand. not so hot on Okara because I don’t think they hit the time.I think wilby might get close, and if he does he comes as Peaty cover.

I think Peters is screwed either way

Wethorn
7 months ago

Can someone clarify how the Olympic A standard works? I don’t get it. 51.71 100 fly is legit. If he’s in the top 2 for GB, and under the team limit, why not let him go?
1. He could drop enough time to medal/final. 2. It’s experience on the biggest world stage. Maybe that experience helps a swimmer develop?

Last edited 7 months ago by Wethorn
Stewart Fenwick
Reply to  Wethorn
7 months ago

51.71 is slower than WAQ A 51.67

Last edited 7 months ago by Stewart Fenwick
Sub13
Reply to  Wethorn
7 months ago

A few thing to unpack here:

Olympic B cut: A country may enter one swimmer in an event if they have the B cut or better in the qualifying period.

Olympic A cut: In order to enter 2 swimmers in an event, BOTH must have the A cut in the qualifying period.

In this case, two GB swimmers have the A cut, but neither of them won at trials. So GB could arguably enter Guy and Peters if they wanted. If Litchfield swims, because he doesn’t have the A cut, no other swimmer can enter.

This is further complicated because GB has messy selection procedures that allow them to basically the choose the team they want regardless of trials. And… Read more »

flicker
7 months ago

considering Duncan is officially qualified through the 2IM, is he still only provisionally qualified for the 100 free? like can the selectors theoretically be in a silly goofy mood and decide to give that individual spot to someone else even if Duncan does want to swim it, got 2nd under the nomination time and is on the team anyways (I know its not necessarily likely especially for someone like Duncan but is it theoretically within the fine print?)

Thomas Selig
Reply to  flicker
7 months ago

Simple answer is yes. Finishing first in an event under the time means “nominated for selection for that event” (5.1 of selection process), while finishing second under the time means “considered for selection to the team” (5.5). So GB selectors could choose to not give Scott or Dean the second 100 free spot if they want to save them for the 4×200 free relay, even if they wanted to swim it. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if it did end up being Cohoon swimming the 100 free (with Richards). Dean and Scott aren’t really medal chances in the 100 free, and heats/semis clash with heats/finals of the 4×200 relay. With Richards likely already doing both, I suspect selectors will want… Read more »

flicker
Reply to  Thomas Selig
7 months ago

oh I hate that, like its one thing if they decide for themself they want to focus on getting the 4×2 WR and drop the individual 100 free, but the fact the rules even allow selectors the opportunity to do something like that if they wanted to is really annoying

Anymouse
Reply to  Thomas Selig
7 months ago

Agreed, I think Cohoon will take the 2nd individual 100 free spot.

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Thomas Selig
7 months ago

That’s a disgusting policy btw

MIKE IN DALLAS
7 months ago

What GB does — and a lot of other countries do as well – is to second-guess the World Aquatics/FINA “A” cut time. And all of that is sheer silliness. It would be interesting to see who made it to the podium without the “A” cut time or some slightly tighter standard? I don’t know. However, given the fact, I think, that the “A” cut isn’t going to win any medals at the Olympics anyway, what’s really the purpose of having, well, STANDARDS that are a tad higher?
At the same time, however, the IOC permits ‘developing programs’ in many nations to send swimmers who clearly don’t belong there. And that helps their national programs to grow, really? Please,… Read more »

Flash
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
7 months ago

Remember that you said Richards wouldn’t even be in Paris when it was announced he was leaving Bath to go to Millfield?!?! I said come back to that comment and see how it felt!!!

Joel
Reply to  Flash
7 months ago

Mike in Dallas knew what was best for Matt Richards in England. Lol

Luis
7 months ago

Don’t forget about Bird!

Sapiens Ursus
7 months ago

Though not nearly as ridiculous as it used to be, GBs selection procedures still confuse me so much

Reid
Reply to  Sapiens Ursus
7 months ago

It’s sleazy, but I definitely get building in the wiggle room to just choose who you want on the team. What makes no sense is:

1. Why make these arbitrary standards that are only slightly faster than the A cut? if they make the A cut they’re fast enough to go, send them or don’t

2. Why set a 30 swimmer limit? I assume because travel expenses saved go to administrator bonuses

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Reid
7 months ago

Re 2 – they already picked thr coaches going which we all know is the most important part

KeithM
7 months ago

Can they select Gammon for the 200 fly as a discretionary pick for that event? Obviously he’s not a medal contender but he’s just done a 51 and it would provide an additional option for the fly medley leg.

Adrian
Reply to  KeithM
7 months ago

No, his 200 fly time is outside WA A and B cut.

KeithM
Reply to  Adrian
7 months ago

Thanks. So it looks like it’s between Joe, Jimmy, & Duncs.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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