#2 Qualifier James Wilby Scratches 50 Breast Final in Britain

2019 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

A pair of top-3 scratches were revealed before the 2nd finals session at the 2019 British Swimming Championships on Wednesday: one with more significance than the other.

In the men’s 50 breaststroke, the 2nd qualifier James Wilby dropped out after going 27.10 in the morning heats. That put him behind the World Record holder Adam Peaty, who swam 26.51 inn the morning. That moves Ross Murdoch and Craig Benson to the middle lanes. Wilby finished 2nd in the 100 breaststroke on Tuesday in 58.66; while that technically doesn’t guarantee him a spot on the roster, the expectation is that the swim will earn him a coaches’ discretionary invite in that it would have won silver at the last World Championships. The 50 breaststroke is not a direct selection event.

In theory, his scratch would’ve cleared the tie for 8th between Lawrence Palmer and Mark Campbell, but Palmer declined his spot in the final. That bumped 18-year old Oliver Taverner into the top 8.

Tuesday’s other “big scratch,” which wasn’t really a scratch at all, came in the 200 fly. There, the 3rd qualifier Michael Gunning won’t swim the  final – he’s not allowed, as an international swimmer, to advance beyond prelims. His 1:59.60 crushed the old Jamaican record by nearly 2 seconds.

Matthew Domville moves into the A-final in his stead after a 2:02.33 in the heats. Jacob Peters was the top qualifier in 1:58.88, followed by Duncan Scott in 1:59.57.

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WHY
5 years ago

W H Y

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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