2017 SWIM ENGLAND NATIONAL WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, December 13th – Sunday, December 17th
- Ponds Forge, Sheffield
- LCM
- Commonwealth Games selection at stake
- Meet Central
- Entry Lists
Although the Swim England National Winter Championships have been held in short course meters format for the last 2 years, this time around Commonwealth Games selection is at stake, making the format LCM for 2017. Although Swim England has already nominated the big guns such as Adam Peaty, James Guy and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor in several events, there are still key players need to earn qualification times to be added to the roster, or to have another event added to their portfolio.
The aforementioned Guy falls into the latter scenario, as the Bath National Centre athlete has already been selected for the 100m fly, 200m free and 400m free based on performances at qualifying meets earlier this season. The 200m butterfly si his only event in Sheffield this week, with his personal best of 1:55.91 from this past April falling well inside the qualifying mark of 1:58.29. With this being his only swim, the 21-year-old is expected to easily add the event to his line-up in Gold Coast, giving the stud a 4-event program.
If successfully qualified, Guy could potentially become England’s first 200m fly Commonwealth champion since 1998 should things go according to race plan in Australia. But, we’ll need to see what South African Chad Le Clos and possibly Singaporean Joseph Schooling have to say about that next year.
Olympic silver medalist in the 200m IM, O’Connor, is in a similar boat, having already been selected for her signature event, as well as in the 100m breaststroke. The 22-year-old will be seeking qualifying times in the 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly events, however. In the former, Ellie Faulkner holds the top time to beat with a #1 seed effort of 1:57.04. Canadian Rebecca Smith of HPC Ontario is entered with the top time in the 100m butterfly at 58.07.
IMer Aimee Willmott will be vying for selection in the 400m IM and 200m IM, while Christopher Walker-Hebborn will also need to prove his worth in the backstroke. He won gold in the 100m distance at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but has been off the 54.01 consideration time as of late and will need to hustle to book his place for Gold Coast.
Sprinters Anna Hopkin and Freya Raynor will do their best to edge past the 24.49 qualifying mark in the 50m freestyle, while the men’s 100m freestyle field is essentially anyone’s for the taking. Calum Jarvis, David Cumberlidge and Joe Litchfield are just 3 of the possible candidates capable of taking the top prize and earning a spot on the coveted Commonwealth roster.
Guy is only permitted to 500 meters of Fly per week. Once he pushes this on he could be a huge threat to the butterfly world. Both 100 and 200!!!
What about Euros? Why have this meet at this time? Seems counter productive. A week or two later? Or January? Seems Guy could do amazing at Euros.
Euro is SCM. This is LCM. GUY needs to swim 200 Fly here for Commonwealth Games selection. He has already qualified in his other swims…
Look for the HPCO girls light it up !
I doubt he should beating chad in the 200 fly. 100 fly is up in the air though
Definitely, I can’t see him beating him in the 200, I suspect Le Clos will go a 1:53 low, maybe a 1:52 Le Clos had a fantastic World Cup
I wouldn’t count Guy out. He’s got 50-point 100 fly speed and 3:43-plus 400 free endurance. That means a LOT of potential in the 200 fly; the fact that his best time is three seconds behind le Clos’ best at the point doesn’t mean that much, Guy has basically only flirted with the event so far. Plus le Clos, great as he is, can be erratic, and this past summer was the first time he’s been under 1:54 since 2012. If he has one of those races where he looks around a lot, anything could happen.
Don’t count guy out he went into worlds ranked 16th after a poor Olympicsand finished 3rd he dropped his pb by 1.2 seconds I reckon he drop to low 1.54 s for now then 1.52/3 one thing for sure if he’s got no anxiety he’ll. be hard to beat !!!
I would not call it a poor Olympics. You don’t go to the Olympics by being bad.
universal entrants would argue the opposite… cue the Eric “the Eel” references and the such
The great Eric Moussambani shall return!!!!
He did return, then he retired. Look him up on YouTube. His story got very interesting after his first foray into the Olympic theatre!
lol
He’s just saying it was a disappointing meet relative to his capabilities.
James dad has spoken, I’m expecting a 1.52 now… One day 😉
I agree. Guy could really surprise a few folks.
Giving me some Love.. HONEST OBSERVER ?
I’d go with this – Eventhough his 1.55 was unrested and he subsequently dropped a huge 100 PB, he is chasing 2s on Le Clos at the moment and that’s a long way. A medal would be a great start – As would sorting those walls, he’s getting better but he nearly knocked himself out in the world final lol
And us Americans get Ribbed for predicting good times for or swimmers. 1:52 when Guy has barely cracked 1:56!….hmmm
Nobody predicted 1.52?
Disingenuous at very least to say “barely cracked 1.56” like he has swum the event competitively. He swum 1.55 at an untapered, unrested meet where his 100 time was a second slower than his PB. He only started targetting the stroke 2yrs ago and has gone from 52mid to 50.6 over 100fl in that time with seemingly an inability to spot his walls. If you don’t see the scope of a man with the speed of Le Clos and the endurance of a 3.43 400fr… I am not sure what to say to ya.
I’d add – The person who mentioned 1.52 is James’ dad and I imagine he has a pretty good idea of James’ coaches plans and his potential with the stroke.