GBR’s Laura Stephens Scorches 2:07.04 200 Fly Best Time In Tokyo Quest

2021 BRITISH SWIMMING GLASGOW MEET

• Thursday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 6th
• Prelims at 5:30 pm local night before/Finals at 10:00 am local
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Last Chance Olympic Qualifier
• SwimSwam Preview
• Start Lists – DRAFT
• Day 1 Prelims/Finals #1
• Live Results
• Livestream

Plymouth Leander’s Laura Stephens definitively put her hat in the ring in terms of vying for a spot on the British Swimming Olympic roster on day 2 of this Glasgow Meet.

Racing in the evening prelims of the women’s 200m butterfly, 21-year-old Stephens crushed a big-time 2:07.04 to lead the field by well over 3 seconds.

Stephens opened her race in 1:01.97 and closed in 1:05.07 to register the fastest result of her career. Entering this meet the European Championships relay medalist’s fastest 200m fly time checked in at the 2:07.62 she logged at last year’s Edinburgh International, just before the national lockdown due to the coronavirus.

At the British Olympic Trials this past April, Stephens settled for bronze in a time of 2:09.53. That rendered her out of Olympic qualification for the time being, with only winner Alys Thomas making the grade with her title-winning effort of 2:08.09. Runner-up at that Trials race was tonight’s 3rd seed out of the heats, Keanna Macinnes, who has a shot at making the 2:08.32 cut established by British Swimming.

Although Stephens will need to produce this high-caliber-type performance in the final for her to be considered for the Tokyo roster, her 2:07.04 renders her as the 4th fastest British performer all-time, frog-hopping retired Charlotte Atkinson.

Stephen’s prelims time here now slots her as the #6 swimmer in the world this season in a time that would have grabbed the silver medal at this year’s European Championships.