2019 British Swimming C’ships Preview: Elite Women Edition

2019 British Swimming Championships

We’ve hammered out the selection policy details surrounding the 2019 British Championships that kick off on Tuesday, but let’s take a look at some the athletes taking to the Tollcross International Swimming Center pool in the biggest domestic meet of the year.

Both amateur and pro athletes alike will be throwing down their best efforts to qualify for this summer’s most elite international competitions and we’ve seen in the past that anything can happen in this high-stress, yet thrilling and passion-filled environment.

Elite Men’s Preview

Below are just a few of the seasoned female elite athletes ready to rock and then look for an additional preview that highlights some of the elite female athletes, as well as a separate post on aspiring swimmers on the cusp of a possible breakthrough performers in Glasgow and beyond.

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor

  • The Olympic silver medalist is another Duncan Scott-type versatile swimmer, entered in events ranging from freestyle to breaststroke to the IM. O’Connor enters as the woman to beat in both the 200m IM and the 100m breast, where she holds the fastest seeded time with 2:09.80 and 1:06.99, respectively.
  • Her 200 IM time came from her gold medal win on the Gold Coast to become the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion. She also earned 2 relay medals in Australia as well.

Freya Anderson

  • British swimming fans have their eyes on Anderson, as the Ellesmere Titan is tearing it up in the pool as of late. The 18-year-old took 4 relay medals at the 2018 European Championships, including gold as a member of the women’s 4x200m free and mixed 4x100m medley relays. She was also a vital member of 2 bronze medal-winning relays on the Gold Coast as well.
  • Anderson fired off winning marks of 25.35 and 54.65 to take the 50m and 100m freestyle titles at the 2018 European Junior Championships in Helsinki.

Aimee Willmott

  • Despite having her funding cut, the University of Stirling standout raced perhaps the gutsiest swim of her life to take Commonwealth gold in the 400m IM. She’s set to take on this event as the top seed, as well as the 200m IM seeded behind the aforementioned O’Connor. If she holds all of her entries, Willmott will also race the 200m free, 200m breast, 200m fly and 200m back for a monster line-up at Tollcross.

Hannah Miley

  • The Scot who simply won’t quit is coming off of an ankle injury incurred last fall, but has already snapped back into the racing life with meets in both Spain and Ireland, quickly getting back to form. In true Miley fashion, the 3-time Olympian is entered in a grueling schedule, including 8-event portfolio, with her most likely World Championships bid chances coming in the 400m IM, 200m IM and 400m free events.

Alys Thomas

  • The 28-year-old veteran owns the 200 fly event as far as British swimmers go, having taken 2018 Commonwealth Games gold and European Championships bronze. The Swansea star holds about a 3 second advantage on the pysch sheets in the 200m fly, but also looks good to take on Charlotte Atkinson and others in the 100m fly to chase a double fly title this week.

Additional swimmers to keep an eye on in terms of the veteran elite include Imogen Clark, Sarah Vasey, Holly Hibbott, Molly Renshaw and Anna Hopkin.

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Yozhik
5 years ago

Who is this pretty girl at this picture and how young is she. I kind of tired of pictures about monster muscles.

Dee
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

It’s Siobhan Marie O’Connor and she is very much a woman, not a girl haha!

Yozhik
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

Usually hard work and a lot of responsibility make young athletes with great sport career to look very mature without any childish expressions on their faces that can suggests their age. If this is the current picture of young woman then congratulations to her: the tough sport career hasn’t ruined the natural beauty.

Dee
5 years ago

SMOC is a real question mark this year. On record saying she lacked motivation for a long time after Rio, hasnt raced at all as far as I can see this year, but says she is backed fully motivated and firing for Tokyo. Still feel she is the only woman who can challenge Hosszu in the 200IM at her best. My youngster to watch on the female side is Tamryn van Selm – Big talent.

Jeff
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

I feel SMOC needs a change in event. I just don’t think she likes the 200 IM anymore. I think she should go for the breaststroke events and the relays.

oli
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

If she were to ever scratch the 200im, I would like to see her resurrect the 100m fly and 200m free. I was hoping after CG 2014 where she went 57.4 and 1.55.8 respectively, there would be more to come. She is definitely capable.

Jeff
5 years ago

Interested to see how youngsters like Katie Shanahan and Matt Richards have improved.

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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