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2021 British Olympic Selection Trials Day 1 Live Recap

BRITISH OLYMPIC SELECTION TRIALS

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

British National Record – 1:55.54, Joanne Jackson 2009
British OLY QT – 1:57.28

GOLD – Freya Anderson, 1:56.80 Olympic Qualifying
SILVER –Abbie Wood, 1:57.48
BRONZE – Lucy Hope 1:57.65

In typical Freya Anderson fashion, the European Short Course champion bided her time on the front half before surpassing her competitors to check-in with a winning time of 1:56.80 in this women’s 200m freestyle.

Opening in 57.59 and closing in 59.21, Anderson easily dipped under the British Swimming-mandated Olympic qualifying time of 1:57.28 needed for Tokyo. Her time was solid, but nearly a second off her own lifetime best of 1:56.06, a mark she registered at the 2020 Flanders Cup.

Anderson represented the only swimmer of the field to get under the consideration time, as Abbie Wood snagged silver in 1:57.48. That’s a new personal best for the New York Breaker, slicing almost half a second off of the 1:57.96 she produced at the Manchester International meet earlier this year.

Lucy Hope also got on the podium in 1:57.65, a big-time performance for the Edinburgh athlete who got under the 1:58 threshold for the first time in her career with this swim here.

With Holly Hibbott finalizing the final 4 in 1:58.11, the women’s 800m free relay looks primed to secure a wild card spot for the Tokyo Games, although their collective time is 7:50.34 compared to British Swimming’s 7:50.05.

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

British National Record – 3:43.75, James Guy 2015
British OLY QT – 3:46.78

GOLD – Kieran Bird, 3:46.00 Olympic Qualifying
SILVER – Tom Dean, 3:47.48
BRONZE – Daniel Jervis, 3:47.61

Making the most of his opportunity to potentially make Great Britain’s Olympic squad was Bath’s Kieran Bird. The 21-year-old freestyle ace simply crushed a performance of a lifetime to hit 3:46.00, hacking nearly 5 seconds off his previous career-quickest of 3:50.90 from 2019 in the process.

Bird kept pace with the leader Tom Dean, who led along with Daniel Jervis until the final 50. That’s when Bird turned it on to burn rubber in 26.92 and get to the wall first. Bird now ties Stephen Milne as the 4th fastest British performer all-time.

Bird also enters the world rankings for the season in slot #6.

2020-2021 LCM Men 400 Free

2Jack
McLoughlin
AUS3:43.2706/12
3Ahmed
Hafnaoui
TUN3:43.3607/24
4Henning
Muehilleitner
GER3:43.6707/24
5Felix
Auboeck
AUT3:43.9107/24
View Top 26»

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

British National Record – 4:31.33, Hannah Miley 2009
British OLY QT – 4:36.68

GOLD – Aimee Willmott, 4:35.70 Olympic Qualifying
SILVER – Lily Booker, 4:43.40
BRONZE – Hannah Miley, 4:45.00

Attacking this women’s 400m IM from the get-go was 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Aimee Willmott. The 28-year-old Stirling swimmer churned out a time of 4:35.70, clearing the British Swimming-dictated Olympic consideration standard by nearly a solid second.

Willmott tightened up on the final 30m of the freestyle leg, so the fact she made the cut rendered this a gutsy swim for the woman who owns a PB of 4:33.01 as Great Britain’s 2nd fastest performer on record. In her post-race interview, Willmott stated that she didn’t even think she’d be swimming past Rio and here she is most likely making the Tokyo Olympic team to potentially end her career on a high note.

Lily Booker placed 2nd in a time of 4:43.40, while 3-time Olympian Hannah Miley finished in 4:45.00 for 3rd. Although these runners-up were outside the consideration time, they still have additional opportunities, including the European Championships should they compete there.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

British National Record – 56.88, Adam Peaty 2019
British OLY QT – 59.23* (Adam Peaty & James Wilby are pre-qualified)

GOLD – Adam Peaty, 57.39 (pre-qualified for Olympics)
SILVER – James Wilby, 58.76 (pre-qualified for Olympics)
BRONZE – Ross Murdoch, 59.51

It was Adam Peaty‘s race to lose with the father of one punching a big-time 57.39 to now own the top 20 performances ever in this 100m breast event. He also has been under the 58-second threshold a remarkable 15 times.

The World Record holder went out like a freight train in 26.69 and closed it out in 30.70, solidifying once again that he has a very good chance to become the first British swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic title.

Joining him in Tokyo will be James Wilby, his Loughborough teammate who also pre-qualified for the Games. Wilby didn’t rest on his laurels either, however, pumping out a time of 58.76. That’s just .30 off his own lifetime best of 58.46 from 2019 en route to getting under the 59.23 British Swimming QT.

Ross Murdoch rounded out the top 3 in 59.51 for a solid sub-minute result from the Stirling star.

Peaty and Wilby rank #1 and #5, respectively, in the world this season in this men’s 100m breast.

2020-2021 LCM Men 100 Breast

AdamGBR
Peaty
07/26
57.37
2Arno
Kamminga
NED57.8007/24
3Michael
Andrew
USA58.1406/13
4Nicolo
Martinenghi
ITA58.2807/25
5Ilya
Shymanovich
BLR58.4605/17
View Top 26»

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

British National Record – 57.25, Ellen Gandy 2012
British OLY QT – 57.92

GOLD – Harriet Jones, 57.79 Olympic Qualifying
SILVER – Laura Stephens, 57.98
BRONZE – Alys Thomas, 58.63

Keeping the Olympic qualification streak going was City of Cardiff’s Harriet Jones. Jones threw down a time of 57.79 to get under the consideration standard of 57.92 by over a tenth, most likely punching her ticket to Tokyo with her victory.

Splitting 26.67/31.12, Jones turned in a new lifetime best, overtaking her 58.46 from this morning, but also her previous PB of 58.52 entering this meet. That means the Tokyo-bound flier hacked over half a second off her best-ever with her two swims here today.

Nearly making the mark was Laura Stephens, with the Plymouth Leander athlete punching 57.98 as the only other swimmer to get under 58 seconds. That’s her first outing ever under 58 for a solid showing. Alys Thomas, the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion in the 200m fly, produced 58.63 as the bronze medalist tonight.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

British National Record – 1:56.64, Max Litchfield 2017
British OLY QT – 1:58.32

GOLD – Duncan Scott, 1:55.90 *British Record, Olympic Qualifying
SILVER – Joe Litchfield, 1:57.74, Olympic Qualifying
BRONZE – Max Litchfield, 1:58.43

Incredible swimming was put on display by versatile Duncan Scott in this 200m IM with the Stirling swimmer crushing a mark of 1:55.90. Entering this meet, Scott’s personal best in this event stood at the 1:56.65 he produced at the 2019 British Swimming Championships, so the man got under 1:56 for the first time in his already prolific career.

Tonight, Scott opened in 54.39 and closed in 1:01.51 to hit his fastest time ever, overtaking the previous GBR standard of 1:56.64 held by Max Litchfield since the 2017 World Championships.

Litchfield was in this race as well tonight, posting 1:58.43 as the 3rd place finisher behind his younger brother Joe Litchfield. Younger Litchfield lit it up in a new lifetime best of 1:57.74 to get under the British Swimming consideration time.

Entering this meet, NY Breakers’ Litchfield had been as quick as 1:59.17 but the man absolutely blew that to bits to check-in with 1:57.74 as a potential Olympic qualifier and now the 5th fastest Brit in history.

Scott now takes over the world rankings throne from China’s Wang Shun, while Litchfield enters the mix in slot #7 as we move closer to the Olympic Games.

2020-2021 LCM Men 200 IM

WangCHN
Shun
07/01
1:55.00
2Michael
Andrew
USA1:55.2606/17
3Duncan
Scott
GBR1:55.2807/30
4Jeremy
Desplanches
SUI1:56.1705/19
5Daiya
Seto
JPN1:56.2207/30
6Mitch
Larkin
AUS1:56.2906/16
7Hugo
Gonzalez
ESP1:56.3106/06
8Phillip
Heintz
GER1:56.4212/30
9Chase
Kalisz
USA1:56.9706/18
10Hubert
Kos
HUN1:56.9905/19
View Top 26»

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Oli K.
3 years ago

Wellbrock is missing on the 400 meter LCM list. He recently swam 3:44,35 and considers of adding this event to his olympic schedule.

Oli K.
Reply to  Oli K.
3 years ago

Thanks for adding.

Laur
3 years ago

You forgot Lewis Clareburt he went faster than Michael Andrew..

Kiwiswimchick
3 years ago

You are missing Lewis Clareburt’s 1.57.84 from last week in the top 10 list.

Konner Scott
3 years ago

Where does that put Duncan on the all-time list?

N P
Reply to  Konner Scott
3 years ago

Should move him into 11th, right behind Philip Heintz.

Pvdh
3 years ago

Duncan Scott will be Olympic champ in the 2IM

AnEn
Reply to  Pvdh
3 years ago

Rather unlikely.

Zanna
Reply to  AnEn
3 years ago

Why?

AnEn
Reply to  Zanna
3 years ago

Because he isn’t the favorite, so him winning the gold certainly isn’t likely (more than a 50 % chance) -> Him winning gold is unlikely. I would maybe give him a 20 % chance to win gold. 35-40 % for Seto and 40-45 % for the rest of the field.

Troll in the Dungeon
Reply to  AnEn
3 years ago

If he has a 20% chance of winning the gold, then he is absolutely a contender. Yet above, you have insisted so hard to say he is not a contender for gold.

Are you genuinely saying what you think, or just trying to be difficult?

Honest Observer
Reply to  AnEn
3 years ago

Agree that Seto is the favorite, but imagine the following scenario: Scott is swimming in the lane next to Seto, a body length behind after the 150, but manages to draft off him and then rockets past in the final 10 meters. It’s not as if he doesn’t know how to do that, and before the 2019 MR, nobody thought he would do that to Nathan Adrian. And yes, Scott will be tired by then, but Seto should be, as well, though admittedly he has less in the way of relay duty.

Casas 100 back gold in Tokyo
Reply to  Honest Observer
3 years ago

I don’t think Seto is still the favorite now. He won’t swim any PBs this year. I say it here.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Pvdh
3 years ago

Just not in Tokyo.

Pvdh
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

This he’s got more left in the tank. I expect 1:54 from him

Daaaave
3 years ago

I know it is COVID protocol, but the finalists in their parkas hauling their stuff to the blocks in clear plastic garbage bags has please-don’t-sit-next-to-me-on-the-319-bus energy

swimfan210_
3 years ago

Great swimming across the board! Peaty and Scott were purely impressive. Kieran Bird having a breakout swim, never heard of him before. Abbie Wood setting a season best, that bodes well for later this week – could see a 2:08 in the 200 IM.

Thomas Selig
3 years ago

Well got to be happy with that overall. At least one CT hit in every event, and some really pleasant surprises in there too.

Women’s 200 free. Solid swims from Anderson and Wood, though Wood will be disappointed to miss the individual CT. Great swim from Hope, and encouraging from Hibbott considering where she’s been at recently. Shame they missed the relay CT, but GB should send a relay to Tokyo based on that.

Men’s 400 free. Bird with a cracker, came from nowhere really, and paced it beautifully. Dean perhaps lacking some of the endurance training, but still a PB which bodes well for his 200.

Women’s 400 IM. Gutsy swim from Wilmott, never easy being completely on your… Read more »

About Braden Keith

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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