Will Molly Renshaw Be Left At Home Again?

2016 BRITISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS/OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Tuesday, April 12th – Sunday, April 17th
• Tollcross International Swimming Center, Glasgow, Scotland
• Prelims at 10am local/6am EDT; Finals at 6:30pm local/1:30pm EDT
• British Swimming 2016 Olympic Games Selection Policy
• Live Streaming
• DRAFT Psych Sheet
• Start Lists/Results

Four years ago, then-16-year-old Molly Renshaw missed the British Olympic team in the 200 breaststroke due to an idiosyncrasy in the country’s selection standards.

Now, after coming in second in the same event this morning with a “consideration” standard, Renshaw may face the same situation for the second Olympics in a row.

Back in 2012, Renshaw came in under the 200m breast qualifying standard at the first of two British trials meets, British Gas Swimming Championships in March. She swam the event in 2:26.81, and the standard was 2:26.89. However, at that meet, she finished second behind Stacey Tadd, and the selection standards only allowed for first place to automatically make the team. Second-place swimmers would have to fall inside the world top 16 rankings, a more difficult requirement that she didn’t quite make.

Then, at the second Olympic qualifier in June, Renshaw won the national title, but missed the cut by .86, swimming 2:27.72 and missing the team. Renshaw and her coach, Andi Manley, appealed British Swimming’s decision, saying that Renshaw had chosen to focus on European Junior Championships instead at British Swimming’s urging, but the British Olympic Association defended British Swimming’s selection criteria.

This year, the selection process has narrowed down to just one meet with even tougher standards, and there’s a chance Renshaw could be left behind again. First place finishers at this weekend’s British National Championships and Olympic Trials automatically qualify for their individual events if they make the ‘A’ cut (which, for the women’s 200 breast is 2:22.08). However, first and second place finishers who don’t make the standard can be considered for the team if they make it in within 2% of the consideration standard, a 2:24.75.

Renshaw went into this week’s meet as the British record-holder, with a time three seconds faster than she ever went in 2012. However, in the final, City of Cardiff’s Chloe Tutton hit the wall first, taking down Renshaw’s national record with 2:22.34.

Renshaw also swam a lifetime best, clocking 2:23.56 in a time that will now be the new English record.

While Tutton’s spot on the Olympic team is pretty safe, despite missing the automatic time, Renshaw’s is shakier. Right now, although her time was fast enough to rank tenth in the world this year, Renshaw’s spot on the Rio 2016 Olympic team lies in the hands of the British head coach and national performance director.