Courtesy: British Swimming
The British Swimming Championships are returning to London in 2024 – and for the first time, our flagship swimming and para-swimming events will fully combine in one momentous competition.
The 2024 British Swimming Championships will take place at the iconic London Aquatics Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 2nd-7th April 2024, with the event playing a key role in the selection of both our Paralympic and Olympic pool swimming teams, heading to Paris next summer in search of more historic successes on the sport’s biggest stages.
This inaugural version of the British Championships will see Olympic and Paralympic swimming event schedules running concurrently in the same programme across six days of heats and finals sessions. The para-swimming events will be run with multi-classification competitions.
And for the first time since 2015, supporters will be in the London Aquatics Centre stands to roar on our athletes at a British Swimming Championships, with more information on how you can secure your tickets to be shared soon.
That means fans will be able to watch the pinnacle of British Swimming in the same venue that saw Ellie Simmonds’ emotional London 2012 Paralympic glories, Michael Jamieson’s Olympic silver swim, Adam Peaty‘s first-ever 100m Breaststroke world record and the unforgettable seven world title-haul of Alice Tai in 2019.
For 2024, athletes will be looking to put in the big performances that can secure them a place at Paris 2024 and a chance to follow in the strokes of Maisie Summers-Newton, Tom Dean, Jordan Catchpole, Anna Hopkin and other gold medallists from Tokyo three years previous. As ever, the event will also assist in qualification for a number of junior representative teams across a busy season, while swimmers of all age ranges will be targeting outstanding swims and memorable moments in a unique arena environment.
Speaking about the announcement of this historic British Swimming Championships and a return to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, British Swimming Performance Director Chris Spice said: “There are so many reasons for us to be excited to confirm this news. Firstly, combining our major domestic para-swimming and swimming competitions into one integrated finals schedule should make for an incredible spectacle, and it will be very special for us and all the supporters in attendance to see both our Paralympic and Olympic teams taking shape over the six days of the meet. The event is going to be bigger and better than ever.
“On top of that, it is always brilliant to be able to host our British Championships in London, at a pool that we know means so much to every swimmer who dives in. We are looking forward to linking up with our partners in London, LLDC [London Legacy Development Corporation] and Everyone Active, as we build towards what should be a memorable event.
“Our athletes – and the coaches and staff who work with them on a daily basis – show commitment and consistency in training day in and day out to give themselves a chance of thriving in the Paralympic or Olympic arena, and the British Swimming Championships is the absolute key time to make all of that hard work and commitment show, as we look to follow up our successes in Tokyo with even more in Paris next summer. We know every single athlete aiming to compete in London will be pushing on from now until 2nd April to be ready for that meet.”
Alice Tai enjoyed an unforgettable experience in the London pool at the Para Swimming World Championships in 2019, claiming no fewer than seven gold medals and two world records. Looking ahead to being back in those lanes, she said: “I have some great memories from the London Aquatics Centre. Obviously, the seven golds at World Champs in 2019 was a pretty big success for me, but also I’ve been to a couple of local competitions there with my club – the pool, as well as holding the 2012 Games, it has become quite a big part of me and my swimming. So it’s always nice to go back to such an amazing pool with amazing history.
“The more integration the better at competitions like this, it has definitely come on leaps and bounds – and the most important thing is it raises awareness of para-sport. So most importantly, it’s opening those doors for coaches and clubs to see para-swimming first-hand. Swimming is swimming, but it is slightly different in terms of the processes to get from grassroots to the elite. Hopefully we can raise more awareness. Every year, more para-swimmers turn up on poolside, so hopefully that can keep growing and growing.”
James Guy – who put in some stellar swims at the British Swimming Selection Trials in 2021, ahead of claiming two Olympic golds in Tokyo four months down the line – added: “Having the London Olympics and Paralympics there more than 10 years ago now, it’s always a real privilege to race there. Looking back on YouTube and watching amazing, great swims, it always brings back great memories of racing there because it’s always a fast pool.
“Olympic and Paralympic year is always a bit different and a bit special. With this as the pinnacle of UK pools, I think it’s only fair to have it at the London Aquatics Centre for those trials.”
Edward Fane, Head of Venues at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, said: “We are so proud to be hosting the British Swimming Championships at the London Aquatics Centre. It’s fitting that, 10 years after this iconic London 2012 venue re-opened, it will be used as the British Swimming team prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Everyone Active’s Director of Aquatics and Wellbeing, Jacqui Tillman, said: “The British Swimming Championships hold great significance within the aquatics calendar, and we are honoured to play a pivotal role in hosting this prestigious competition next year.
“The London Aquatics Centre is a truly iconic venue with a rich history of hosting major sporting events. Witnessing the return of the British Swimming Championships to the venue is not just a milestone for us as the new operator, but a celebration of the centre’s legacy. We hope the event will be a source of inspiration for swimmers and fans of all ages and abilities.”
Further meet details and information around the Championships themselves will be communicated in due course.
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