2024 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (OLYMPIC TRIALS)
- Tuesday, April 2nd – Sunday, April 7th
- Prelims at 10 am local (5 am EDT), Finals at 7 pm local (2 pm EDT)
- London Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- British Swimming Olympic Selection Policy
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview
- Entries
- Prelims: Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Finals: Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Results
- Livestream: Channel 4 Youtube coverage
Day four of the 2024 Aquatics GB Olympic Trials brought the heat, with two women dipping under the qualification time in the 200m back while two men accomplished the feat in the 200m IM.
Honey Osrin fired off a time of 2:08.37 to establish a new lifetime best and check in as the 6th-fastest British performer in women’s 2back history.
Katie Shanahan wasn’t far behind, registering 2:08.53 as the runner-up, adding a silver in this event to the 400m IM 2nd place finish earned earlier in the competition.
Then the men’s 200m IM ended the session in style, with Olympic multi-medalist Duncan Scott getting the job done in an impressive 1:55.91.
That outing fell just over half a second outside Scott’s lifetime best and British national record of 1:55.28 notched en route to silver at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Tom Dean also nailed a performance under the Aquatics GB qualification time, touching in 1:56.44 for silver.
The men’s 100m fly event did not go as planned, however, as 25-year-old Joe Litchfield upset the field en route to topping the podium.
Litchfield of Loughborough put up a lifetime best of 51.71 to beat out James Guy and Jacob Peters, the respective #1 and #2 British performers in history.
Unfortunately for Litchfield, he did not dip under the QT of 51.56 mandated by Aquatics GB, nor did his result clear the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 51.67.
As a result, Litchfield has qualified for Paris for the medley relay but the individual men’s 100m fly now has a question mark in terms of who may swim the event at the Olympics.
Peters posted a prelims time of 51.56 today while Guy hit 51.43 at the 2023 World Championships, both under the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut and both logged within the Olympics qualification window.
Guy still has a chance to qualify in the 200m free both individually as well as as a member of the 4x200m free relay. If he indeed qualifies, the Aquatics GB brain trust may see fit to add the individual 100m fly to his Paris repertoire and retain Litchfield as relay-only.
Or, the same powers that be could discretionarily select Peters to the squad for the 1fly.
We’ll have to wait and see how things shake out as the remainder of the competition unfolds.
British Olympic Qualifiers Through Day 4 of Trials
The following swimmers finished 1st in their event and beat the Aquatics GB selection standard:
- Keanna MacInnes – women’s 200m fly (2:07.24)
- Freya Colbert – women’s 200m free (1:56.22), 4x200m free relay
- Adam Peaty – men’s 100m breast (57.94)
- Oliver Morgan – men’s 100m back (52.70)
- Kathleen Dawson – women’s 100m back (59.74)
- Daniel Jervis – men’s 1500m free (14:47.94)
- Freya Colbert – women’s 400m IM (4:34.01)
- Anna Hopkin – women’s 50m free (24.53)
- Max Litchfield – men’s 400m IM (4:09.14)
- Matt Richards – men’s 100m free (47.84)
- Honey Osrin – women’s 200m back (2:08.37)
- Duncan Scott – men’s 200m IM (1:55.91)
The following swimmers have provisionally qualified in relays:
- Abbie Wood – women’s 4x200m free relay
- Medi Harris – women’s 4x200m free relay
- Lucy Hope – women’s 4x200m free relay
- Duncan Scott – men’s 4x100m free relay
- Tom Dean – men’s 4x100m free relay
- Alexander Cohoon – men’s 4x100m free relay
- Joe Litchfield – men’s 4x100m medley relay
Other Qualification Notes
The following swimmers finished 2nd in their event and beat the Aquatics GB selection standard:
- Laura Stephens – women’s 200m fly (2:07.37)
- Abbie Wood – women’s 200m free (1:56.62)
- Jonny Marshall – men’s 100m back (53.03)
- Katie Shanahan – women’s 400m IM (4:36.67)
- Duncan Scott – men’s 100m free (47.92)
- Katie Shanahan – women’s 200m back (2:08.53)
- Tom Dean – men’s 200m IM (1:56.44)
The following 1st place finishers did not meet the Aquatics GB selection standard but did meet the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time (‘A’ cut):
- Kieran Bird – men’s 400m free (3:45.63)
Can Litchfield be trusted on a relay?
Yes.
No he can’t, the amount of times he bottled it in a relay…
He legit went 49.5 in tokyo on mens 4 x 1 free. Pathetic
So I make that 21 probable qualifiers if they take all the second-place second finishers who went under the time. Trying to look ahead to who else might make it:
Men’s 800 free: no likely additions
Women’s 100 fly: no likely additions
Men’s 200 breast: Wilby maybe? His 200 hasn’t been that great of late though.
Men’s 50 free: Proud obviously. Second spot very open between Cohoon, Cumberlidge, Painter, Burras. So at least one new name, possibly 2.
Women’s 200 IM: thought this would be between Wood, Colbert, and Shanahan. Shanahan hasn’t looked quite at her best so far, and Leah Schlossan has been looking decent, so could be an upset there. Right now leaning… Read more »
I can see them taking Whittle, not McMillan. The big fly in the ointment is Anderson, who you have to take if she’s more or less fit. I think Guy gets top 4 in the 200 free, I don’t see the W4x100 doing it.
I say Proud, Evans, Guy and Greenbank will force their hand. not so hot on Okara because I don’t think they hit the time.I think wilby might get close, and if he does he comes as Peaty cover.
I think Peters is screwed either way
Can someone clarify how the Olympic A standard works? I don’t get it. 51.71 100 fly is legit. If he’s in the top 2 for GB, and under the team limit, why not let him go?
1. He could drop enough time to medal/final. 2. It’s experience on the biggest world stage. Maybe that experience helps a swimmer develop?
51.71 is slower than WAQ A 51.67
A few thing to unpack here:
Olympic B cut: A country may enter one swimmer in an event if they have the B cut or better in the qualifying period.
Olympic A cut: In order to enter 2 swimmers in an event, BOTH must have the A cut in the qualifying period.
In this case, two GB swimmers have the A cut, but neither of them won at trials. So GB could arguably enter Guy and Peters if they wanted. If Litchfield swims, because he doesn’t have the A cut, no other swimmer can enter.
This is further complicated because GB has messy selection procedures that allow them to basically the choose the team they want regardless of trials. And… Read more »
considering Duncan is officially qualified through the 2IM, is he still only provisionally qualified for the 100 free? like can the selectors theoretically be in a silly goofy mood and decide to give that individual spot to someone else even if Duncan does want to swim it, got 2nd under the nomination time and is on the team anyways (I know its not necessarily likely especially for someone like Duncan but is it theoretically within the fine print?)
Simple answer is yes. Finishing first in an event under the time means “nominated for selection for that event” (5.1 of selection process), while finishing second under the time means “considered for selection to the team” (5.5). So GB selectors could choose to not give Scott or Dean the second 100 free spot if they want to save them for the 4×200 free relay, even if they wanted to swim it. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if it did end up being Cohoon swimming the 100 free (with Richards). Dean and Scott aren’t really medal chances in the 100 free, and heats/semis clash with heats/finals of the 4×200 relay. With Richards likely already doing both, I suspect selectors will want… Read more »
oh I hate that, like its one thing if they decide for themself they want to focus on getting the 4×2 WR and drop the individual 100 free, but the fact the rules even allow selectors the opportunity to do something like that if they wanted to is really annoying
Agreed, I think Cohoon will take the 2nd individual 100 free spot.
That’s a disgusting policy btw
What GB does — and a lot of other countries do as well – is to second-guess the World Aquatics/FINA “A” cut time. And all of that is sheer silliness. It would be interesting to see who made it to the podium without the “A” cut time or some slightly tighter standard? I don’t know. However, given the fact, I think, that the “A” cut isn’t going to win any medals at the Olympics anyway, what’s really the purpose of having, well, STANDARDS that are a tad higher?
At the same time, however, the IOC permits ‘developing programs’ in many nations to send swimmers who clearly don’t belong there. And that helps their national programs to grow, really? Please,… Read more »
Remember that you said Richards wouldn’t even be in Paris when it was announced he was leaving Bath to go to Millfield?!?! I said come back to that comment and see how it felt!!!
Mike in Dallas knew what was best for Matt Richards in England. Lol
Don’t forget about Bird!
Though not nearly as ridiculous as it used to be, GBs selection procedures still confuse me so much
It’s sleazy, but I definitely get building in the wiggle room to just choose who you want on the team. What makes no sense is:
1. Why make these arbitrary standards that are only slightly faster than the A cut? if they make the A cut they’re fast enough to go, send them or don’t
2. Why set a 30 swimmer limit? I assume because travel expenses saved go to administrator bonuses
Re 2 – they already picked thr coaches going which we all know is the most important part
Can they select Gammon for the 200 fly as a discretionary pick for that event? Obviously he’s not a medal contender but he’s just done a 51 and it would provide an additional option for the fly medley leg.
No, his 200 fly time is outside WA A and B cut.
Thanks. So it looks like it’s between Joe, Jimmy, & Duncs.