Catie DeLoof Captures Double Gold On BUCS Night Two

2023 BUCS LONG COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, February 24th – Sunday, February 26th
• Ponds Forge International Swimming Center, Sheffield, England
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Site
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entries
• Day 1 Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

Night two of the 2023 British Universities & Colleges (BUCS) Long Course Championships saw the likes of Catie DeLoof, Paige Madden and Katie Shanahan put their aquatic talent on display.

We already reported how teen Shanahan of the University of Stirling scored a big-time win in the women’s 200m back, firing off a time of 2:08.08. That scorched her previous PB of 2:09.22 and ranks her as the 4th fastest British performer in history. You can read more about her performance here.

As for American DeLoof, the former University of Michigan Wolverine now represents Loughborough and did so in spades this evening. The 26-year-old stood atop the podium twice, taking the women’s 50m back and 50m free events.

In the former, DeLoof stopped the clock in a time of 28.26, narrowly edging out runner-up Lauren Cox, also of Loughborough. Cox settled for silver in 28.30 while Stirling ace Kathleen Dawson rounded out the top 3 in 28.80.

DeLoof’s next victim was the 50m free where she posted a winning effort of 24.74, the only sub-25 second result of the field. Her time represents the 3rd fastest of her career, sitting only behind her PB of 24.68 from the 2020 Olympic Trials and the 24.73 she produced at a 2020 Intrasquad meet.

Another American Paige Madden got it done for gold in the women’s 200m free event, as the Loughborough swimmer produced a time of 1:58.92. That registered the sole time of the field under the 2:00 barrier, checking Madden in as the 11th swiftest performer in the world this season.

Tatiana Belonogoff of Loughborough clocked a time of 30.69 in the women’s 50m breast, while teammate Greg Butler followed suit for the men with a winning time of 27.77.

Laura Stephens was too quick to catch in the women’s 100m fly, with the Loughborough ace scoring the victory in a result of 58.86. That time sits within a second of her personal best of 57.98 from the 2021 British Selection Trials.

Additional Winners

• Loughborough’s Conor Ferguson topped the men’s 50m back podium with a time of 25.50.
• Stirling’s Evan Jones took gold in the men’s 200m free in 1:49.50, the only time of the field under 2:00.
• The men’s 100m fly saw Swansea swimmer Lewis Fraser touch first in 52.94.
• Oliver Morgan of Birmingham was too quick to catch in the men’s 200m back, topping the podium in 2:00.20
• Alex Cohoon of Loughborough earned the men’s 50m free gold in 22.76.
• The women’s 200m breast saw Loughborough’s Lily Booker clock 2:25.77 for gold while teammate Butler produced 2:12.61 for the men’s win.