British Swimming has revealed its 29-strong lineup for the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
The roster was decided based on a combination of performances rendered at the just-concluded British Swimming Championships, while a slew of discretionary picks has been made by the organization’s coaching brain trust.
The British Swimming selection policy originally specified just 8 swimmers could be picked discretionarily. However, halfway through the six-day British Swimming Championships, the policy was altered to remove a particular number.
The portion of the official roster who scored automatic qualification times at the British Swimming Championships includes:
- Freya Colbert, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Daniel Jervis, Swim Wales High Performance Centre
- Matt Richards, Millfield
- Katie Shanahan, University of Stirling
- Laura Stephens, Loughborough Performance Centre
The following additions to the roster were made based on the fact that these athletes earned consideration times at the British Swimming Championships:
- Freya Anderson, Bath Performance Centre
- Lewis Burras, Repton
- Tom Dean, Bath Performance Centre
- James Guy, Bath Performance Centre
- Anna Hopkin, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Emily Large, Millfield
- Jacob Peters, Bath Performance Centre
- Ben Proud, Bath University
- Duncan Scott, University of Stirling
- Abbie Wood, Loughborough Performance Centre
Finally, the following group of swimmers were added at the discretion of the Head Coach and Performance Director, based on the need to qualify as many relay teams as possible for Paris 2024, in addition to serving as potential alternates to key athletes with large schedules:
- Cameron Brooker, Bath Performance Centre
- Greg Butler, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Lauren Cox, Loughborough University
- Kara Hanlon, Edinburgh University
- Medi Harris, Swim Wales High Performance Centre
- Lucy Hope, University of Stirling
- Joe Litchfield, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Keanna MacInnes, University of Stirling
- Jack McMillan, University of Stirling *
- Oliver Morgan, University of Birmingham
- Luke Turley, Bath Performance Centre
- Jacob Whittle, Loughborough Performance Centre
- James Wilby, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Brodie Williams, Bath Performance Centre
* Subject to nationality ratification
Coaching Staff
- Jamie Main, Bath Performance Centre
- David Hemmings, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Ryan Livingstone, Millfield
- Mel Marshall, Loughborough Performance Centre
- David McNulty, Bath Performance Centre
- Steven Tigg, University of Stirling
10 of the aforementioned athletes are set to make their World Championships debuts, including Katie Shanahan, who wowed with 200m back and 200m IM victories, while Oliver Morgan stunned with a trifecta of backstroke gold medals in Sheffield.
British Swimming Performance Director Chris Spice said: “We were really pleased with the standard of our athletes’ performances at the British Championships, with established names and new faces delivering big swims and helping play their part in some outstanding races.
“It is difficult to highlight just a few performances from Sheffield, but Matt Richards finishing the week with a win in another stunning Men’s 200m Freestyle final was great, as was the contest between Katie Shanahan and Abbie Wood in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley, as well as Katie and Freya Colbert across the 400m IM and the 200m Backstroke. The noise of the crowd as Dan Jervis finished off his impressive 1500m Freestyle swim was a memorable moment, as well as Oliver Morgan sweeping the men’s backstroke events.
“The way that our female athletes are moving things on is also reflected in this team – Freya Anderson and Laura Stephens are just two more experienced performers who delivered eye-catching personal bests last week and will be looking to build again into the summer.
“As with every year, our swimmers and coaches will now put those performances behind them and focus on what they can do between now and the summer to ensure they can deliver a season’s best when it matters most. Key training blocks and some important racing opportunities are on the cards in the coming months, and we know our athletes will make the most of every single one of those with the World Championships in mind.
“Relays continue to be a primary focus of competition for us, and our selections have helped us to ensure we have the requisite strength in depth to stand those relay teams in good stead for Worlds, when we will be targeting qualifying quota spots for Paris 2024 in all our relays.”
At the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, British Swimming fielded a squad of 23, including the likes of Duncan Scott, Adam Peaty, Ben Proud and Abbie Wood.
The nation came away with a total of 5 medals, with Proud’s 50m freestyle victory representing the sole gold medal.
Is this team more or less diverse than previous?
8 Loughborough PC
7 Bath PC
5 University of Stirling
2 Swansea
2 Millfield School
1 Repton(though trains in Perth with Zoe Baker)
1 Bath Universiy(though trains in Turkey with James Gibson)
1 University of Edinburgh
1 Loughborough University
1 University of Birmingham
15 from Performance Centres
5 from University of Stirling(Never certain if that is or is not a PC, not according to BS website)
2 from Swansea(Similar to above)
7 from 6 other programs.
Almost 50% of team train out with PC’s if Stirling are removed, with them it is roughly 30% training out with. Include Swansea it drops to 25% or… Read more »
So what were those ridiculous qualifying times all about then? Just a part of the torture by officials?
I would have thought the 2nd fastest 50 breast swimmer in the world this year was worth a discretionary pick. Just a thought.
Unfortunately, that’s not the British way!
Always helps if your at a national centre , even if your times don’t warrant selection . Interesting don’t you think ?
Ehh they didn’t pick Greenbank who’s at Loughborough
Can’t see why they need to take Lauren Cox as Medi Harris hardly has a busy week, I am sure she can manage a heat and final in a relay. Also Greg Butler really. Will be interesting to see if the female swimmers can move it on from trials as they had to go pretty quick to even get selected. Think they should of taken Imogen Clark guaranteed medal in the 50 Breast, she could of been a discretionary pick. Thought they might have taken Oliver Morgan’s coach but probably not as he is only a uni coach
Medi Harris is likely doing the individual 50 and 100 Back, 4×200 Free relay, Mixed medley relay, Medley relay and potentially the 4×100 free relay. Yes, I’d call that a pretty busy week. With the likes of Meilutyte, Pilato, Elendt, Van Niekerk and King, Clark was by no means a “guaranteed” medal in the 50 Breast, also she DQ’d at trials in the 50.
I remember when O’Connor got DQ’d at trials and still got picked, so yes they could of picked Imogen
She needed to do more than a 1:07.9 in the 100 to get picked. That year SMOC got DQ’D at trials she still got 3 other silvers including 1:06.8 in the 100 Breast and a 54.3 in the 100 Free + she was literally the olympic silver medalist the year prior. You can’t compare the 2.
Agree. She’s very much 50 optimised and her 100 time doesn’t meet FINA A standard. To medal in 50BRS; you need to sub 30; a level which she has yet to attain. Finalist = yes; medallist …. would need a chunk off her PB and maybe someone have an off day.
Whilst I agree that Harris will have a busy week; I do think Cox is very lucky as an opening leg north of 1.00flat can sink your W4XMED; British Swimming only needs to think back to Tokyo where they rested Dawson from the heats and they failed to make the final.
I think Kathleen Dawson would have been a better choice, tbh.
Should have
Could have
Men’s relays in GB suddenly have a whole load of depth. 4x100M is perhaps underpowered due to absence of Peaty, but eager to see what Morgan can do leading off on the backstroke. Morgan, Williams for back, Peters, Guy for fly and any one of a number of freestylers means once Peaty slots back in there will be 2 competent legs for each stroke.
In the 4x200F interesting that alongside Scott, Guy, Dean and Richards, they are taking Turley, McMillan, Litchfield and Whittle. Whittle was slightly off in his 200 at trials, but that ‘B’ team is capable of throwing down 1:48/1:47 splits, allowing us to rest the big guns potentially.
Same again in the 4x100F, Scott, Dean, Richards, Burras,… Read more »
Morgan, Brooker for Back. Williams will only race the 2 Back at Worlds after finishing 5th in the 100 at Trials while Morgan and Brooker went 1-2.
Whittle is likely only selected for the 4×100 free and Turley only selected for the 800 Free at Worlds where he got 2nd to Jervis at Trials but achieved the World Aquatics A cut. Doubt either of them will be used in prelims of the 4×200 Free with 6 other swimmers down to race that relay.
Would be very surprised if anyone other than Burras, Scott, Richards, Dean and Whittle race the 4×100 Free especially Litchfield after his 49. split at the Olympics which meant GB missed the final.
Yes probably, although Guy could race heats. Bearing in mind trials results, wonder who’ll race the individual 100 and 200.
I’m guessing Duncan will give up his 1Free spot as there is a direct clash with the 2IM. So almost certainly Burras and Richards in the 100 Free and Dean and Richards in the 200 Free.
Greg Butler hasn’t got the World Aquatics A cut in any of the Breaststroke events which means he’s literally on the team to replace Wilby in the relays if he is off form at Worlds.
On the team to save Mel Marshall’s career?
Hopkin and Whittle are both on the team too tbf.
This team pretty much confirms GB are going to race all 7 Olympic relays too at Worlds.
It’s only sensible to get the qualification locked in. I imagine there won’t be a big team at Doha.
M4X200 are probably secure bets to lock in auto qualification. M4X100 ….. a very good chance of doing so but no done deal. M4XMED would usually be a secure bet but absence of Peaty IS a big hit so auto-qualifying is much less secure.
None of the women’s relays are likely to auto-qualify but the depth in women’s relays is significantly less than the men’s so a top 5-6 finish should 99.5% secure their Paris start. Just making the final will almost “get it done”. Would think W4X100 should be around 5th-6th and reasonable chance W4XMED may do so. W4X200 has the least international pedigree but should make the final.
Losing Peaty also hits the MMR hard and definitely lowers… Read more »