Wiffen Clocks 7:30.06 SCM 800 Free On Night 2 Of BUCS Championships

2023 BRITISH UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES (BUCS) SC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, November 17th – Sunday, November 19th
• Ponds Forge International Swimming Centre, Sheffield, England
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview
• Draft Entries
• Day 1 Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

Day two of the 2023 British Universities & Colleges (BUCS) Short Course Championships saw another powerful performance by Irishman Daniel Wiffen of Loughborough.

Competing in the men’s 800m freestyle, the World Championships finalist ripped a winning effort of 7:30.06 to get to the wall nearly 11 seconds ahead of the competition.

22-year-old Wiffen’s time registered as the 2nd-best of his career, sitting only behind the 7:25.96 he produced in December of last year to establish a new European Record in the event.

Wiffen now ranks as the #1 swimmer in the world, with the European Short Course Championships on the horizon.

Loughborough’s Lily Booker powered her way to gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, beating out teammate Sophie Hansson and Edinburgh’s Kara Hanlon in a super tight race.

Among the 3, Booker trailed at the halfway mark (1:08.61), with Hansson getting to the wall first in 1:07.90, followed by Hanlon’s 1:08.33.

But Booker turned it on for the back half, including a final 50m split of 36.73 to ultimately touch first in 2:22.13. Hansson settled for silver in 2:22.55 while Hanlon bagged bronze in 2:22.72.

Hansson would later grab the gold in the 50m breast over Tatiana Belonogoff who touched in 29.75 for silver.

Birmingham’s Oliver Morgan established a new lifetime best en route to gold in the men’s 50m back. The British national champion scored a time of 23.53 as the sole swimmer under the 24-second threshold in the race.

Entering this competition, Morgan’s personal best rested at the 23.68 notched just earlier this month. However, knocking another .15 off that mark renders the 20-year-old GBR’s 4th-best performer ever.

Stirling’s Lucy Grieve posted a head-turning time of 57.00 to win the women’s 100m butterfly event over teammate Keanna MacInnes and Loughborough’s Laura Stephens.

Grieve had never before been under 58 seconds in this event, owning a personal best of 58.88 from the 2021 Scottish Winter Championships. However, splitting 27.09/29.91, Grieve registered the swim of her life to establish a new Scottish national record.

MacInnes earned silver in 58.29 while Stephens rounded out the top 3 in 58.45.

Grieve not only took gold but she ranks as GBR’s 5th-fastest female ever and now ranks #1 in the world this season.

Additional Day 2 Winners

• Loughborough’s Calvin Fry logged 21.74 for the men’s 50m freestyle gold, while teammate Kornelia Fiedkiewicz followed suit for the women in 24.40.
• Greg Butler hit a time of 2:08.54 to win the men’s 200m breast by nearly one second for Loughborough.
• The women’s 50m back saw Lauren Cox get it done for gold in 27.27.
• Loughborough’s Lucie Hanquet clocked 8:21.86 to beat out the 1500m freestyle winner here Fleur Lewis by just .02.
• Swansea’s Lewis Fraser earned gold in the men’s 100m fly in 50.98. His outing checked in as his first-ever performance under the 51-second barrier and Fraser is now GBR’s 11th-fastest man in history.
• Following up on his 100m IM BUCS Record from night 1, Edinburgh’s Archie Goodburn claimed men’s 50m breast gold in 26.92.
• Cam Brooker of Bath matched his lifetime bet of 1:52.80 from 2 years ago to claim gold in the men’s 200m back. Loughborough’s Honey Osrin earned gold in the women’s race in 2:05.70.
• The men’s 400m IM saw Charlie Hutchison produce a winning effort of 4:09.62 while European Championships gold medalist Katie Shanahan of Stlring collected women’s gold in 4:31.93, just .10 off her best-ever.