At 16, Freya Anderson Scorches 5th Fastest 100 Free In British History

2017 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 18th – Sunday, April 23rd
• Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield
• LCM
• Qualifying Times Analysis (for this meet)
• Qualifying Times Analysis (for 2017 World Championships GBR squad)
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream
• Live Results

In a women’s sprint freestyle field void of now-retired national record holder Fran Halsall, things are looking up in Britain in the form of 16-year-old Freya Anderson. The Ellesmere Titan has been tearing up the age group records as of late and already finished a surprising 4th in the splash n’ dash here in Sheffield after being scratched into the final. Competing in the women’s 100m freestyle heats this morning, Anderson surged to the top seeded time of 54.40, notching a personal best and new British age record in the process.

Entering Sheffield, Anderson’s career fastest rested at the 54.80 earned while winning gold at last year’s European Junior Championships in Hungary. This morning, however, she threw down an opening split of 26.58, closing in 27.82 to have her prelim time of 54.40 overtake the previous age record by exactly .40. Halsall held the national age record for 16-year-olds at 54.80 from back in 2007, so the mark had held up for almost 10 solid years.

Speaking to both Britain’s overall historical lack of depth in the sprint freestyle events, but also to Anderson’s budding talent, the teen’s performance this morning now ranks as the 5th fastest ever, among all ages, in British swimming history:

Top female 100m freestyle British performers of all time:

1. Fran Halsall, 52.87, 2009
2. Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, 53.81, 2015
3. Amy Smith, 54.01, 2012
4. Caitlin McClatchey, 54.31, 2008
5. Freya Anderson, 54.40, 2017

We’ll see what Anderson has in store during the 100m freestyle final to be contested tonight in Sheffield.

*Fun fact: the 5th fastest performance in British swimming history is held by Mel Marshall (54.62 from 2004), now lead coach of Loughborough and coach of world record holder Adam Peaty.