2019 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, April 16th – Sunday, April 21st
- Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
- Prelims at 10am local (5am Eastern)/Finals at 6:30pm local (1:30pm Eastern)
- SwimSwam Selection Analysis
- SwimSwam Elite Men Preview/SwimSwam Elite Women Preview
- SwimSwam Emerging Women Preview/SwimSwam Emerging Men Preview
- Final Start Lists
- Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap
- Live Results
As originally reported:
14-year-old Jacob Whittle just produced a magnificent 100m freestyle morning swim in the heats of teh 2019 British Swimming Championships. Throwing down a mark of 50.40, the teen held his own against the big boys, claiming the 12th seed overall to make the Transition Final tonight.
But, that’s not all. Whittle, who was on our Emerging Men Preview, nailed a new British Age Record for 14-year-olds, overtaking his own previous PB and Age Record of 52.04 by a mile. His time would also have surpassed the Age Record for 15-year-olds had Matt Richards not already sliced it down himself during prelims.
Splitting 24.88/25.52, Derventio Excel’s Whittle simply impressed with a time that would check-in as the fastest mark ever performed by an American 13-14 100m freestyler. The American National Age Group Record for 13-14 year-old men in this event is 51.30 held by Michael Andrew from 2014.
Also for perspective, Caeleb Dressel‘s fastest time as a 13-14 year-old was 52.53.
As a refresher, British results show swimmers’ ages as of December 31st of the year of the meet. But Whittle’s birth date is September 2004 and is just 14 years of age.
From our Meet Preview:
Jacob Whittle – 14 (Derventio Excel)
In February of this year, Jacob Whittle lowered his own British Age Group Record in the men’s 50m freestyle, bringing his previous PB of 24.15 down to 23.95 in Dubai. That made Whittle the first 14-year-old to go under 24 seconds in the men’s 50m free.
Whittle has already established himself as one to watch, breaking 3 British Age Records at the British Summer Championship in long course last year, and an additional English Age Record. Just this past November, the Derventio Excel athlete broke 3 more all-time best swims for GBR.
I saw another 14 y.o. going 50.80 in March
With a 23.64 for 50 free
Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (a backstroker and medley swimmer) went almost exactly the same time at 15 years of age. And I thought he was good! 🙂
I too, but Ceccon was nearly 16 year-old and had already great technique 😉
A US collegian in a few years?
Wow his stroke looks bad
His stroke’s messy, his start is poor, his turns are poor – But that’s what makes him so exciting. To go 50.40 aged 14 this raw is mindblowing. So often we see kids go super fast times but they’re already going 15 underwater and have technique drilled into them like North Korean parade soldiers. There is an insane amount of scope with this kid.
Can’t wait to see how low he can go!
If they just fix that start the kid is under 50. That thing makes Tony Ervin look good
Incredible. Remember when Chalmers went 50.86 and how fast that was, but this takes it to a whole new level. The possibility of a 14 year old going sub 50 doesn’t quite sound so crazy anymore.
Impressive Duncan Scott!
He turned at 50m in 23.25 showing his increased raw speed and eased a lot his action already at 75 metres (in a Lochtian way).
Such a Duncan Scott, the best ever seen, capable of a 23.2 at 50m already in the heats, may return in 24.3-24.4, so, after Grinev and Chalmers, we could have another swimmer in the 47″ mid range.
You should see Breno Correa today, went 48,3 going out easy 23,5. Also good morning times here Chierghini 48,11 Breno 48,32 Spajari 48,42 (Missing the wall on 50) and Marco 48,66
Thanks Rafael for your news
I watched the race, he started easing up after 85-87 meters.
Whittle’s heat at 34.08 on the video
No! 1:43:00 rather
You’re late to the party Swim4fun
When this article was first published they had a video embedded of the morning heats, where Wittle’s 50.40 was at 34.08 on the video.
Swimswam have since embedded a new video where the heat is at 1:43.00
You’re welcome.
Last to dive in, much faster than anyone else in the last 20 metres: this boy has an incredible ratio power/weight in the water.
Yeah, the last 20 meters is something else. With that kick, this boy is going places. He can do in Paris what Chalmers did in Rio