Matthew Ward Scores Scottish 100 Back Record To Close Out SC Championships

2023 SCOTTISH SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, December 8th – Sunday, December 10th
• Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh, Scotland
• SCM (25m)
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Livestream
• Live Results

Last night we saw the 2023 Scottish Short Course Championships come to a close but not before the University of Stirling squad swam away with the overall team trophy.

Stirling amassed 1229.50 points throughout the 3-day affair and secured the victory over runners-up Edinburgh University who scored 1076 points

However, on the final day, it was a swimmer from Bath who stole the spotlight, with 18-year-old Matthew Ward producing a new Scottish national record in the men’s 100m back.

Racing in the morning heats, two-time European Junior Championsips bronze medalist Ward busted out a top-seeded effort of 51.30. Opening in 24.76 and closing in 26.54, Ward overtook the previous national mark of 51.47 retired swimmer Craig McNally put on the books 5 years ago.

Entering this competition, Ward’s career-quickest result in this SCM 100 back rested at the 51.98 produced in Canada last year. His performance this weekend ranks him as the 6th-swiftest British performer in history.

Ward wound up dropping the evening final, which left Jack Skerry to reap gold in his stead. Skerry topped the podium in 52.09.

Ward did take on the 200m IM on the final night, clocking a time of 1:56.21 to win the event by 3 seconds. That, too, registered a new lifetime best and the teen now ranks among the top 20 GBR performers in that race.

Angharad Evans continued her improvements in the breaststroke discipline, doubling up on her 200m victory earlier with a win in the 100m distance.

Evans got to the wall in 1:04.50 (30.41/34.09) to touch nearly 3 seconds ahead of the pack. She hacked over half a second off of the 1:05.20 notched at this year’s BUCS SC Championships and Evans is now the #2 British performer all-time.

Top 5 GBR Women’s SCM 100 Breaststroke Performers All-Time

1. Molly Renshaw – 1:04.37, 2021
2. Angharad Evans – 1:04.50,m 2023
3. Chloe Tutton – 1:04.79, 2016
4. Jocelyn Ulyett – 1:05.01, 2019
5. Imogen Clark – 1:05.05, 2022

Additional winners included Edinburgh’s David Cumberlidge registering 21.72 for 50m free gold while Kieran Bird nailed 3:45.95 as the 400m free gold medalist.