2022 British Swimming Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday’s finals session will feature the women’s 800 freestyle, men’s 50 breaststroke, women’s 50 butterfly, men’s 200 butterfly, women’s 100 backstroke, men’s 100 backstroke, and women’s 200 breaststroke with World Championship selection on the line for many athletes on day 2 of the competition.

World Champion Adam Peaty led a strong field of 50 breaststrokers during prelims, finishing with a time of 27.10. The entire field is separated by less than a second, making room for a tight final in the event.

In a similar fashion, the women’s 100 backstroke will feature a race between top qualifier Medi Harris and Olympians Kathleen Dawson and Cassie Wild. With Lauren Cox qualifying as the third seed this morning between the two Olympians, there will certainly be a close finish in finals. Dawson already holds one of the two World Championships spots for this race due to her finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, leaving the rest of the field to chase the remaining slot. 

Other top qualifiers from the prelims session include Abbie Wood in the women’s 200 breast, Brodie Williams in the men’s 100 back, Mason Wilby in the men’s 200 butterfly, and Harriet Jones in the women’s 50 butterfly. 

Some names have been pre-selected to compete at the World Championships by virtue of their performances at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. They are as follows:

Additionally, James Guy, Anna Hopkin and Matt Richards will all earn a spot at Worlds because  they swam on in a relay final that won a medal in Tokyo.

Women’s 800m Freestyle 

  • British Record: 8:14.10, Rebecca Adlington, 2008
  • British World Championship Qualifying Time: 8:23.59

Top 3 Finishers: 

  1.  Leah Crisp (Bath NC) – 8:45.98
  2.  Fleur Lewis (Barnet Copt) – 8:49.80
  3. Ashleigh Baillie (Co Sheffield)- 8:51.34 

Top seeded Leah Crisp managed to hold off a charging field in the women’s 800 freestyle to win the British National Title. Crisp led the entire race, maintaining a strong pace to win her first national title.

Fleur Lewis attempted to close on Crisp, but couldn’t run her down. However, she still touched in a final time of 8:49.80 to best 3rd place finisher Ashleign Baillie by almost 2 seconds.

None of the top finishers managed to get near the World Championship qualifying standard of 8:23.59, meaning Great Britian will have no representatives in the event at the meet.

Men’s 50m Breaststroke 

Top 3 Finishers: 

  1.  Adam Peaty (Loughboro) – 26.91
  2.  James Wilby (Loughboro) – 27.16
  3.  Craig Benson (Glasgow) – 27.55

To nobody’s surprise, world record holder Adam Peaty hit the wall first in this final with a time of 26.91. Peaty, who is already pre-qualified to race the 100 breaststroke at the World Championships, will most likely add this event to his lineup as well. With his time, Peaty now ranks 3rd in the world for the 2021-2022 season.

Peaty’s Loughboro training partner James Wilby managed to get his hands to the wall second, potentially adding another event to his World Championships line-up. Wilby already holds qualifying spots in the 100 and 200 breaststroke as well. Glasgow’s Craig Benson hit the wall third, touching with a time of 27.55, quickly closing on Wilby over the last 15 meters.

Women’s 50m Butterfly 

  • British Record: 25.20, Francesca Halsall, 2014

Top 3 Finishers: 

  1.  Harriet Jones (Cardiff) – 26.48
  2.  Sophie Yendell (Derventio) – 26.67
  3.  Georgina Pryor (Derventio)- 26.77

Harriet Jones started off with a strong stroke and never let up as she led the 50 butterfly field, swimming to victory with a final time of 26.48. She came in over .2 ahead of Derventio teammates Sophie Yendell and Georgina Pryor, who managed to take 2nd and 3rd, respectively. All three swimmers were faster than their times from prelims with their swims.

Although this race does not count for World Championships qualification, Jones’ swim puts her in a good position to qualify for the women’s 100 butterfly later in the meet.

Men’s 200m Butterfly

  • British Record: 1:54.58, Michael Rock, 2009
  • British World Championship Qualifying Time: 1:55.33

Top 3 Finishers: 

  1.  James Guy (Bath) – 1:56.31
  2.  Mason Wilby (Loughboro) – 1:57.31
  3.  Jay Lelliot ( Co Sheffield) -1:57.77

Olympic medalist James Guy dominated this race, touching first by exactly a second with a time of 1:56.31. In his post-race interview, Guy mentioned that he had only been training consistently for approximately 2 to 3 months after a whirlwhind tour following the Tokyo Olympic Games. Although he missed the World Championship qualifying time here, Guy is already pre-qualified to compete in the relays due to his  performances in Tokyo.

Mason Wilby, who took the top qualifying spot out of prelims, managed to touch second in the final with a time of 1:57.31, slightly faster than his time from prelims. Jay Lelliot came in close behind to take third in 1:57.77.

Women’s 100m Backstroke

  • British Record: 58.08, Kathleen Dawson, 2021
  • British World Championship Qualifying Time: 59.02

 

Top 3 Finishers: 

  1.  Medi Harris (Swansea) – 59.95
  2.  Lauren Cox (Loughboro) – 1:00.84
  3.  Kathleen Dawson (Stirling) – 1:01.05

With Kathleen Dawson occupying one of the qualifying slots for the World Championship, a tight race played out for the other spot. Ulimately, nobody managed to make it under the 59.02 British Qualifying Standard. Despite that, Medi Harris had an explosive swim, leading the entire race to touch first with the only sub-1:00 time of the field in 59.95. With her performance, Harris earned her first British Championship title.

Lauren Cox also improved upon her morning swim to touch second, earning the silver medal with a time of 1:00.84. The aforementioned Dawson came in third with a time of 1:01.05, significantly off of her British Record of 58.08. According to the announcers, Dawson is not rested for this competition beacuse of her pre-selection.

Men’s 100m Backstroke 

  • British Record: 52.73, Liam Tancock, 2009
  • British World Championship Qualifying Time: 53.32

 

Top 3 Finishers:

  1.  Luke Greenbank (Loughboro) – 54.56
  2.  Brodie Williams (Bath) – 54.68
  3.  Jonathon Adam (Bath) – 54.75

In the tightest finish of the meet so far, Luke Greenbank managed to win the British National Championship from lane 8. Greenbank, who already holds a World Championship qualification in the 200 backstroke, missed the qualifying time of 53.32.

Top qualifier Brodie Williams touched in close second behind Greenbank with a time of 54.68, just slightly off of his 54.48 from the prelims session. His teammate Jonathon Adam touched 3rd with a time of 54.75, taking the bronze medal.

 

Women’s 200m Breaststroke

  • British Record: 2:20.89, Molly Renshaw, 2021
  • British World Championship Qualifying Time: 2:23.31

 

Top 3 Finishers: 

  1.  Abbie Wood (Loughboro) – 2:24.48
  2.  Lily Booker (Loughboro) – 2:27.34
  3.  Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh) – 2:27.61

Olympian Abbie Wood cruised to the finish well ahead of the field to claim the British Championship in the 200 breaststroke. Although she was off of her best time of 2:21.69 and missed the World Championship qualifying time of 2:23.31, Wood is already pre-qualified in the 200 IM from her performance in Tokyo last summer.

Wood’s Loughboro teammate Lily Booker was nearly 3 seconds behind her to finish second in the field. Booker closed quickly, out-touching Kara Hanlon with a time of 2:27.34 to Hanlon’s 2:27.61. Both swimmers were significantly faster here than they were in prelims.

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There's no doubt that he's tightening up
1 year ago

Those 100 backs don’t look very promising for the medley relays…

Jamesabc
1 year ago

People always comment that Australia has super tough qualifying standards but from what I’ve seen of Japan, France and UK lately it seems like they will barely have enough swimmers qualify to put a team together. Is there much difference between the A cuts and the qualifying standards?

Troyy
Reply to  Jamesabc
1 year ago

British QTs:

comment image

FINA QTs:

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Joel
Reply to  Jamesabc
1 year ago

Australia usually has faster than FINA A times but this year has just gone with FINA A which is excellent I think.

commonwombat
Reply to  Joel
1 year ago

AUS actually tends to take a more nuanced (event by event) line.

  • In events where the AUS standard is well inside the FINA A mark, the QT will be, indicatively, be significantly quicker.
  • In others where you may have 1-2 in/around FINA A; its generally inside but often within a tenth or two of the main contender’s PB.
  • For events where a qualifier is less likely, quite often they go with FINA A.

DO agree that it’s a wise call to make it simpler this year; particularly in light of the reality that they will be sending a significantly weaker team.

The Brits DO seem to massively over-complicate the selection equation however, they are very… Read more »

NU Swim Fan
1 year ago

Would the Brits benefit from just using the FINA A cut this year? Seems like very few swimmers will meet the worlds standard set this year and we could see a very small team competing

snarky
1 year ago

The Brits lighting it up… not.

seton
Reply to  snarky
1 year ago

Name checks out, lol

Negative Nora (they/them)
1 year ago

Dawson has looked considerably off this year, especially given she is a pretty good in-season swimmer. Hoping she’s saving her best for the major meets this summer.

Swimfan
Reply to  Negative Nora (they/them)
1 year ago

Since 2020, she is battling a bulging disk, that’s causing her extreme nerve pain down her leg.

https://www.thenational.scot/sport/20041007.kathleen-dawson-hoping-back-fast-lane-injury-hit-spell/

Scuncan Dott
Reply to  Swimfan
1 year ago

wow didn’t know that, explains why she was a bit disappointing in tokyo compared to europeans and why she didn’t race for aqua centurions in ISL last year.

Negative Nora (they/them)
1 year ago

Abbie Wood still rocking the butterfly-kick breaststroke-arms I see. 🤦‍♀️

Eric the eel > Phelps
1 year ago

slow second day appart from peaty

IM FAN
Reply to  Eric the eel > Phelps
1 year ago

I mean 26.9 is pretty slow by Peaty Standards.

Dee
1 year ago

Derventio are quietly having superb meet – Imogen Clark’s 50br, Mia Slevin’s big 200fr PB, now Sophie Yendell & Georgina Pryor setting their first PBs since their junior days to finish 2nd & 3rd in the 50 fly. Top work.

Fantastic from Eva Okaro too – Achilles injuries are cruel, to be here is an achievement in itself, but to be setting PBs so soon after an injury of that nature is remarkable. She has a huge future.

Last edited 1 year ago by Dee

About Nicole Miller

Nicole Miller

Nicole has been with SwimSwam since April 2020, as both a reporter and social media contributor. Prior to joining the SwimSwam platform, Nicole also managed a successful Instagram platform, amassing over 20,000 followers. Currently, Nicole is pursuing her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. After competing for the swim …

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