Ben Proud Breaks British 50 Free Record in Saturday Prelims

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

*Note on Finals Session: The schedule of events will feature three finals – a senior final targeted at the Rio Olympics and European Championships in London, a Target Tokyo Final for potential additions to the European Championship in London and a Junior Final for those looking to qualify for the European Junior Championships in Hungary. For the purposes of this article’s context, we will be reporting on the ‘senior final’ of each event.

If the first place swimmer does not meet or exceed that qualifying time, then the athlete may be considered for selection as long as he/she falls within 2% of the 2nd time listed by each event. Runners-up also must be within 2% of the 2nd qualification time in order to be considered for selection. You can read more about the policy here.

Women’s 400 FREESTYLE – Prelims

• British Record – Joanne Jackson, 4:00.60, 2009
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 4:04.66
• 2% Consideration – 4:07.41

After a disappointing 800 earlier in the meet, Bath’s Jazz Carlin swam out to a 4:11.79 to qualify 1st to the women’s 400 free final. That result, while not close to the consideration time, won’t say much about if she’s recovered any form, because she still had 2 seconds of cushion to her nearest competitor and 7 seconds of cushion to make the final.

Eleanor Faulkner (4:13.90) and teenager Georgia Coates (4:14.20) qualified 2nd and 3rd – the same positions in which they placed in the 200 free earlier in the meet.

8 Qualifiers to Finals:

1. Jazz Carlin, Bath, 4:11.79
2. Eleanor Faulkner, Sheffield, 4:13.90
3. Georgia Coates, Leeds, 4:14.20
4. Camilla Hattersley, Glasgow, 4:14.85
5. Holly Hibbott, Stockport, 4:15.94
6. Alice Dearing, Loughborough, 4:15.99
7. Kathryn Greenslade, Preston, 4:16.42
8. Georgina Boyle, Chelsea & Westminster, 4:18.11

Men’s 200 IM FREESTYLE – Prelims

• British Record – James Goddard, 1:57.12, 2009
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 1:56.82
• 2% Consideration – 1:58.39

University of Florida (US)-based training partners Mark Szaranek and Daniel Wallace took two of the top 4 qualifying spots in what has become one of Britain’s deeper events, but nobody was able to dip under a minute in the prelims.

Szaranek qualified 1st in 2:00.33, followed by Ieuan Lloyd (2:00.36), Roberto Pavoni (2:00.69), and Wallace (2:00.72).

Pavoni and Wallace were the two swimmers at the World Championships last year, where Pavoni tied for 8th place and Wallace was 4th. After missing the final in the 400 free and placing 3rd in the 400 IM, the two-event World Championship finalist Wallace is in serious danger of not swimming any individual races at the Olympics, though he’s still a likely invitee for the 800 free relay.

The 400 IM champion Max Litchfield qualified 5th into the final in 2:01.43.

Top 8 Qualifiers to Finals:

1. Mark Szaranek, Edinburgh, 2:00.33
2. Ieuan Lloyd, Cardiff, 2:00.36
3. Roberto Pavoni, Loughborough, 2:00.69
4. Daniel Wallace, Warrender Baths, 2:00.72
5. Max Litchfield, Sheffield, 2:01.43
6. Xavier Mohammed, Cardiff, 2:01.82
7. Lewis Smith, Stirling, 2:02.22
8. Duncan Scott, Stirling, 2:02.44

Women’s 200 IM – PRELIMS

• British Record – 2:08.21, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, 2014
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 2:10.19
• 2% Consideration – 2:10.89

World Championship bronze medalist Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, who should feel safe of earning an optional selection regardless of what she does in tonight’s final, just missed the British 2% consideration time with a 2:11.11.

While she still pushed her breaststroke a little, O’Connor was backed way-off on the front-half of her race, saving her best for finals.

Aimee Willmott (2:13.91) and Hannah Miley (2:14.60), the top two finishers in the 400 IM, qualified 2nd and 3rd here. Georgia Coates was 4th in 2:15.45 – she pulled double-duty in the morning with the 400 free, but to have a hope of qualifying in either, she’ll have to make a choice in finals.

Top 8 qualifiers to prelims:

1. Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, Bath, 2:11.11
2. Aimee Willmott, London Aquatics Centre, 2:13.91
3. Hannah Miley, Garioch, 2:14.60
4. Georgia Coates, Leeds, 2:15.45
5. Emily Jones, Edinburgh, 2:15.49
6. Candice Hall, Leicester, 2:16.27
7. Molly Rendhaw, Loughborough, 2:16.37
8. Constance Dean, Maidenhead, 2:16.40

Men’s 50 FREESTYLE – Prelims

• British Record – Ben Proud, 21.73, 2016
• 1st Place OLY Standard – 21.51
• 2% Consideration – 21.94

Ben Proud continues to push himself further-and-further ahead of history in British Swimming. He swam a 21.65 in prelims to break his own British Record of 21.73, done in February of this year at the BUCS college championships, leaving him now three-tenths better than the country’s second-fastest ever, the now-retired Adam Brown.

Nobody was within eight-tenths of the Plymouth Leander product in prelims, but his squad that also includes Olympic breaststroke champ Ruta Meilutyte continues to prove why they’re the hottest sprint squad in the country. 18-year old Thomas Fannon (22.54) and Aaron Rickhuss (22.75) gave Jon Rudd’s bunch three of the top four qualifiers into the final.

Top 8 Qualifiers into Finals:

1. Ben Proud, Plymouth Leander, 21.65
2. Andrew Weatheritt, Loughborough, 22.46
3. Thomas Fannon, Plymouth Leander, 22.54
4. Aaron Rickhuss, Plymouth Leander, 22.75
5. Jack Thorpe, Edinburgh, 22.81
6. David Cumberlidge, Edinburgh, 22.87
7. James Disney-May, Loughborough, 22.89
8. Miles Munro, Bath, 22.94