See all of our 2023 Swammy Awards here.
BRITISH COACH OF THE YEAR: RYAN LIVINGSTONE
Ryan Livingstone led star swimmer Matt Richards to new heights in 2023 at the Millfield School in Somerset, England, earning him British Coach of the Year honors for the first time.
Livingstone, who joined Millfield in November 2021 after previously leading a strong contingent of age group athletes at Newcastle Swim Club, had Richards join his squad during the latter half of 2022, after Richards had a disappointing showing at the World Championships in Budapest.
After making the move to Millfield and aligning with Livingstone’s High Performance Group, Richards immediately showed signs the coaching was working, and that continued into 2023.
At the British Championships in Sheffield, Richards hit a trifecta of best times in the sprint free events, clocking 21.98 in the 50 free, 47.72 in the 100 free and 1:44.83 in the 200 free, becoming the first swimmer in history to have been sub-22 in the 50, sub-48 in the 100 and sub-1:45 in the 200—having broken all three barriers for the first time during the meet.
The now 21-year-old followed up with a monstrous performance at the World Championships in Fukuoka, delivering one of the upset victories of the meet in the men’s 200 free (1:44.30) while also placing fifth in the 100 free (47.45), having reset the British Record in all three rounds of the event (47.59 in prelims and 47.47 in semis).
Richards also contributed a pair of sub-47 splits on the British relays, anchoring them to fifth in the men’s medley relay—the Brits were DQed in the free relay prelims—and then produced a 1:44.65 leg on the men’s 800 free relay as Great Britain stormed to the gold medal in 6:59.08, one of the fastest performances ever.
He added a third medal in Fukuoka on the British mixed free relay, leading them off in 47.83 as they ultimately won bronze.
One of Livingstone’s former swimmers at Newcastle, Emily Large, is also now training with him at Millfield and had a breakthrough performance of sorts to qualify for the World Championship team.
The 2017 World Junior champion in the 200 fly, Large established her first best time in the event since then—nearly six years—at the British Championships in April, booking her a spot in Fukuoka.
Large dropped from 2:07.74 to 2:07.33 in Sheffield, and ended up earning a second swim at Worlds, placing 10th overall in a time of 2:08.66.
Livingstone’s swimmers continued to perform into the back end of the year, especially with the addition of James Guy, as the former Millfield athlete returned to his roots in the fall after a long run at the National Centre in Bath.
Richards and Guy subsequently went 1-2 in the men’s 200 free at the European Short Course Championships in December, with Guy winning his first international medal in the event in seven years.
Richards was also a finalist in the 100 free, Guy was a finalist in the 100 fly, and Large was also in action, essentially matching her lifetime best in the 200 fly semis (2:05.47) before taking fifth in the final.
In addition to Richards, Guy and Large, Millfield, which also has Euan Dale on staff as the Director of Swimming, put three more swimmers onto British Swimming’s 2023-24 World Class Performance Progam: Evie Dilley, Alexander Painter and Elliot Woodburn.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Dave McNulty – McNulty’s athletes at the Bath Performance Centre continued to thrive in 2023, with Tom Dean leading the way with a pair of individual medals at the World Championships. Dean was the silver medalist behind British teammate Matt Richards in the men’s 200 free, secured the bronze medal in the 200 IM, and added two medals on the men’s 800 free (gold) and mixed 400 free relay (bronze). McNulty also coached James Guy, who won gold on the 800 free relay, and Freya Anderson, who won bronze on the mixed free relay and added a lifetime best in the women’s 200 free (1:55.85) before placing seventh in the final. Another McNulty-trained athlete, Jacob Peters, narrowly missed a medal by taking fourth in the men’s 50 fly, and was also a semi-finalist in the 100 fly (12th). At SC Euros in December, Anderson had a strong showing with an individual title in the 200 free and a bronze medal in the 100 free, while Peters picked up a bronze medal in the 100 fly.
- Steven Tigg – The head coach at the University of Stirling, Tigg coached five swimmers to World Championship selection in 2023, highlighted by Scottish standout Duncan Scott. Scott won a trio of medals in Fukuoka, including picking up silver in his lone individual event of the meet, the 200 IM. He also led off the victorious men’s 800 free relay and was a member of the mixed 400 free relay that won bronze. Lucy Hope won bronze as a prelim member of the mixed free relay squad, one of five relay swims she had over the course of the meet for the Brits. Tigg also guided Katie Shanahan to career-best form in 2023, as she followed up PBs in the 200 back and 400 IM at the British Championships with a pair of finals appearances in Fukuoka, including resetting her lifetime best and placing fourth in the women’s 200 back (2:07.45). She was also seventh in the 400 IM and was in position to final in the 200 IM before being DQed in the semis. Keanna MacInnes, who was 20th in the women’s 100 fly in Fukuoka, had an impressive showing at the LEN U23 Championships with gold in the 100 fly and silver in the 200 fly. At SC Euros, Scott won gold in the 200 IM and silver in the 400 IM and Shanahan added a silver in the 200 back.
Hey, we’re forgetting once again the coaches who gave Matt Richards and Tom Dean the many years of what was a world class foundation that made them what they are today. So, here’s a special note to Mark Spackman and Paul Lloyd respectively.
Ao many bespoke coaches in the UK working under the radar!
Matt Richards is in the mix to win 100 free gold in Paris
Men’s 100 free will be by far the most competitive swimming event in Paris with basically all 8 finalists will have a chance to win it.
And be part of our winning 4 in the 4×1 free relay.
He could win 100Fr, 200Fr, 4x100Fr + 4x200Fr, with 4x100Med a medal shot, but perhaps not a gold.
5 medals would see him surpass Scott’s haul of 4, from Paris. Dean has stated already he wants to win 5 or more medals at the Games.
How can Mat Trodden not be mentioned!?
Given Ian Hulme, Andi Manley, Dave Hemmings, Mel Marshall were not, unsure as to how this can be a serious comment and not simply more shameless self promotion!
Hardly with some of the progress. remarkable and a training group on the up.
A HM for Andi Manley at Lufbra? Only coach who had a swimmer break a WR (able-bodied).