2019 LONDON SWIMMING SUMMER OPEN MEET
- Saturday, June 22nd & Sunday, June 23rd
- London Aquatics Centre
- LCM
- Results
London Swimming hosted its annual Summer Open Meet at the storied London Aquatics Centre, home of the swimming competition of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Swimmers from across England, Wales and abroad raced in the 2-day competition that saw the likes of veteran Charlotte Atkinson, as well as teen phenom Jacob Whittle.
22-year-old European Championships medalist Atkinson topped the women’s 17&O 100m fly field, nailing the only sub-minute time of the field in 59.99. The Loughborough athlete paired that gold with a podium-topping time of 2:11.13 in the women’s 200m fly as well here in London.
Atkinson took the British National title in the 50m fly this past March at the 2019 British Championships but fell to 4th in the 200m fly. She took 2nd in the 100m fly, but missed the stiff British QT and, thus, will not be traveling to Gwangju for the World Championships next month. At the 2017 edition in Budapest, Atkinson finished 23rd in the 1fly and 21st in the 2fly.
For 14-year-old Whittle, the man who wowed the world with his 50.37 100m free at British Championships to become the fastest ever worldwide at his age, the Derventio Excel athlete took home several wins before all was said and done here. Highlights of his performances include clocking a 23.88 in the men’s 50m free to take the 15&O category in a time that would have placed 5th in the 17&O final.
For reference, Whittle earned a time of 23.63 in the 50m free at British Championships in another impressive performance there.
Whittle also matched a personal best in the 50m fly at this London Open, hitting the wall in 25.96. That keeps the teen as the 10th fastest all-time performer for the 15 age category. Of note, Whittle turns 15 in September, but British Swimming typically lists competitors’ ages as they stand on December 31st.
The teen also nailed a winning effort of 1:53.18 in the 200m free to land on the podium once again, within range of his 1:52.36 personal best from April, a time that inserted itself into the all-time 15 age rankings at #2.
Additional Notable Swims:
- Loughborough’s Emily Crane took the women’s 50m back title in 17&O in a time of 29.51.
- Her teammate Joe Litchfield topped the men’s 200m IM field in 2:02.93, while also taking the 100m fly title in 54.07.
- The women’s 200m back 17&O category saw Candice Hall go to work, collecting gold in 2:17.42.
- Edward Baxter of City of Derby secured the top prize in the men’s 100m breast in 1:02.76.
- 13-year-old Jake Hutchinson of Ellesmere snagged the 50m fly win for his age group in 28.49 to move him into position as the 23rd fastest Brit of his age ever in this event.
- Max McCusker nailed a new lifetime best in the men’s 17&O 50m fly, with the 20-year-old Millfield School swimmer hitting the wall in 24.38.
- Loughborough’s Megan Morrison took the 100m breast in 1:09.56 to represent the only swimmer under 1:12 in the final. That’s a new personal best and just her 2nd time ever under the 1:10 threshold in the event.
- Brompton’s Bella Hindley was the 50m fly winner in 27.85, as the 23-year-old produced the only time under the 28-second barrier. That marks her first time ever venturing under 28 for a big lifetime best worthy of gold.
- Jamaican Michael Gunning got his hands on the wall first in the men’s 200m fly in 2:04.60 for the win.