2024 British Olympic Trials: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

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
• Results
• Livestream: Channel 4 Youtube coverage
• Day 1 Live Recap
• Day 2 Live Recap

Heat Sheet

Order of Events

• Men’s 1500 Fastest Heat
• Women’s 400 Individual Medley
• Women’s 50 Freestyle
• Men’s 400 Individual Medley
• Men’s 100 Freestyle

It is a cold and snowy day in New England, and it’s about to rain in Old England, but that’s all right because we’ve got some fast swimming to distract us. That’s right, chaps. Day 3 of the Aquatics GB 2024 Swimming Championships is about to kick off.

We start off the session with the longest event in the men’s program, the 1500. But don’t let that fool you as it is sure to be fast with all eyes glued upon the top entrant, Daniel Jervis. Jervis, who finished 5th in Tokyo, is entered with a time of 14:46.95 and wil look to match or better than time. However, he is not only hunting the Nomination Standard of 14:54.29 but also the British record of 14:45.95 swum by David Davies at the 2004 Athens Olympics Games.

From the 1500, we move on to the 400 IM, keeping a distance theme. While Jervis most likely will be alone in hunting the standard, the Women’s 400 IM will likely see two. Top seed Katie Shanahan, the 2022 Commonwealth Games Bronze medalist, enters with a PB of 4:36.74 and will look to fend off the 2024 World Champion Freya Colbert. Colbert, whose winning time was 4:37.14, was over 10 seconds slower this morning, but fans shouldn’t be worried as she should have plenty left in the tank.

The Men’s 400 IM sees another 2024 Worlds Medalist as Max Litchfield enters as the presumptive favorite after returning from Doha with a silver medal. In Doha, he swam at 4:10.40 and, like Colbert took it easy this morning, coasting to 4:15.07. If Litchfield dips under the nomination standard of 4:11.90, it’ll mark his first international team since 2021.

Between the two IM events, we take a turn (or rather we don’t) to the shortest event of the evening; the Women’s 50 Free. Leading the way is Anna Hopkin. Hokin, the only swimmer to get under 25 this morning, posting a preliminary time of 24.59. With the standard sitting at 24.65, Hopkin should easily punch her ticket to Paris should she replicate her morning swim.

We end the night with perhaps one of the most anticipated races of the week: the Men’s 100 Freestyle. Swimmers had to work hard this morning as competition for the top 8 spots was intense. National Record holder Matthew Richards holds lane 4 tonight with his prelims swim of 48.01, but don’t pencil his name in quite yet as the likes of Jacob Whittle, Thomas Dean, David Cumberlidge, and Duncan Scott lurk in the wings. James Guy, who qualified into the Paris (A-final) in 8th place tonight has seemingly withdrawn as Jack McMillian has been bumped into the A-final.  Not making the cut was Lewis Burras, who, despite being the #2 British performer, had a rough prelim swim and ended up finishing 12th in 49.02.

Individual swims aren’t the only thing on the line, as the top four men also need to get under the cumulative standard of 3:13.04. Remember, Team GB had to send a strong team to Doha to qualify the relay for Paris, as they were DQed in Fukuoka.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• World Record: 14:31.02 – Sun Yang, China (2012)
• British Record: 14:45.95 – David Davies (2004)
• 2021 Champion: Daniel Jervis – 14:51.49
• Nomination Standard: 14:54.29
• OLY A/B Standards: 15:00.99/15:05.49

Top 8:

1. Daniel Jervis (Swansea Uni) – 14:47.94
2. Tobias Robinson (Lboro Uni) – 14:54.75
3. Alexander Sargeant (Millfield) – 15:19.84
4. Tyler Melbourne-Smith (Lboro Uni) – 15:21.12
5. Reece Grady (Stockport Mo) – 15:21.90
6. Harry Wynne-Jones (Co Milton K) – 15:39.55
7. Joseph Deighan (Swansea Uni) – 15:42.18
8. Luke Hornsey (Edinburgh Uni) – 15:45.61

Through the 400, it was a close race as Daniel Jervis flipped at 3:53.50, just 1:58 ahead of Tobias Robinson. Robinson, who has already booked his ticket to Paris in open water, has a personal best of 15:01.35 and was doing quite well to keep up with Jervis. By the 800 turn, the difference had grown to just over 2 seconds, with Jervis flipping in 7:51.79, an important time as over halfway through the race, Jervis was under David Davies’ nearly 20-year-old national record pace.

Over the back half of the race, Jervis opened up the lead to nearly five seconds but started to slip off the record. With just a 100 left, Jervis really poured on the kick and fast tempo, ultimately touching the wall in 14:47.94. Finishing just two seconds off his personal best, Jervis easily slides under the nomination standard of 14:54.29. Jervis sets himself up nicely for Paris as he secures himself a second shot to chase that record.

Robinson, may have gone out a little too fast as he started to drop back further behind the leader but still turned in an incredible 14:54.75, a new PB of over six seconds and heartbreakingly less than half a second off the standard. Already guaranteed a spot in the open water and under the Olympic Qualifying Time, Robinson could be granted a spot in the pool as well.

Women’s 400 I.M.– Finals

• World Record: 4:25.87 – Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)
• British Record: 4:31.33 – Hannah Miley (2009)
• 2021 Champion: Aimee Willmott – 4:35.70
• Nomination Standard: 4:37.84
• OLY A/B Standards: 4:38.53/4:39.92

Top 8:

1. Freya Colbert (L’borogh PC) – 4:34.01
2. Katie Shanahan (Uni of Stirling) – 4:36.67
3. Beatrice Varley (Plymouth Lea) – 4:46.34
4. Suzie McNair (Stirling Swim) – 4:49.49
5. Michaella Glenister (Uni of Stirling) – 4:50.11
6. Holly Robinson (Repton) – 4:54.30
7. Amelie Blocksidge (Co Salford) – 4:55.73
8. Anna Farrow (Bath Uni) – 4:56.17

Through the first 200, Freya Colbert showed that she lost no speed from Doha as she led Katie Shanahan by a second after the fly and again after the back. The same margin existed after the 300 turns, but Colbert, the 200 freestyle winner on Day 1, used freestyle strength to pull away from the competition to take the win in 4:34.01.

Colbert’s time of 4:34.01 not only smashes the Nomination standard of 4:37.84 but also is over a second faster than her personal best of 4:35.28 and her winning World’s time of 4:37.14. Colbert, who has made statements about not swimming the 200 free individually, adds an individual event to her likely relay spot.

Katie Shanahan also dipped under the standard hitting the wall in 4:36.67. While not a personal best, the Scottish swimmer should likely be selected to the roster this time if she doesn’t qualify in the 200 back or 200 IM, where she is the top seed.

With those two swims both swimmers jump into the top 10 of the 400 IM rankings, with Colbert jumping up to #2 in the season and fastest this calendar year.

Women’s 50 Freestyle– Finals

• World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2023)
• British Record: 23.96 – Fran Halsall (2014)
• 2021 Champion: Anna Hopkin – 24.79
• Nomination Standard: 24.65
• OLY A/B Standards: 24.70/24.82

Top 8:

1. Anna Hopkin (L’borogh PC) – 24.53
2. Eva Okaro (Repton) – 24.96
3. Isabella Hindley (L’borogh PC) – 25.25
4. Skye Carter (Basildon Ph) – 25.34
5. Clementine Lovel (Lboro Uni) – 25.43
6. Katie Goodburn (Edinburgh Uni) – 25.73
7. Erin Little (Mt Kelly) – 25.83
8. Darcy Revitt (Guilford Ct) – 25.90

2021 Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record holder in the Mixed 4×100 Medley, Anna Hopkin, proved she was the one to beat, hitting the wall in 24.53. Hopkin kept her head down and powered through the first 25 but started to pull away from the field over the backhand. Hopkin, who had already gotten under the standard this morning, did so again tonight, securing her spot on the train to Paris.

Her time of 24.53, at this point of the season, puts her in good standing as at the 2023 Worlds, her fastest 50 was 24.61, and this past February in Doha, she finished 6th in 24.51. Finishing behind Hopkin was Eva Okaro, who hit the wall in 24.96, a great time as she entered with 25.36 and stated in the post-race interview her goal was to break the 25 second barrier.

Men’s 400 I.M. – Finals

• World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
• British Record: 4:09.18 – Duncan Scott (2011)
• 2021 Champion: Max Litchfield – 4:12.67
• Nomination Standard: 4:11.90
• OLY A/B Standards: 4:12.50/4:13.76

Top 8:

1. Max Litchfield (L’borogh PC) – 4:09.14 ***NEW NATIONAL RECORD***
2. Charlie Hutchinson (L’Borogh PC) – 4:15.72
3. George Smith (Uni of Stirling) – 4:17.31
4. Edward Whittles (Chelsea&West) – 4:22.05
5. William Ryley (Co Cardiff) – 4:22.60
6. David Annis (Royal Wolv) – 4:23.11
7. Tony Joe Trett Oliver (Uni of Stirling) – 4:26.20
8. Pierce Greening (Uni of Stirling) – 4:27.13

At 2:00.22 at the halfway point, Max Litchfield had opened up over a body length lead over his teammate Charlie Hutchinson. Employing a strong breaststroke leg, Litchfield pulled away and started to chase Duncan Scott‘s national record of 4:09.18. It was close at the finish, but Litchfield had just enough to not only get under the Nomination Standard but also break the National Record by .04, hitting the wall in a time of 4:09.14.

This time culminates in Litchfield’s return to the national team after a long absence, but with his first PB in the event since 2017, Max Litchfield has made his 3rd Olympic team, after swimming at both the Rio and Tokyo Games.

With the swim, Litchfield vaults into the top position in the world.

Men’s 100 Freestyle– Finals

• World Record: 46.80 – Pan Zhanle, China (2024)
• British Record: 47.45 – Matthew Richards (2023)
• 2021 Champion: Duncan Scott – 47.87
• Nomination Standard: 48.06
• 4×100 Free Nomination Standard: 3:13.04
• OLY A/B Standards: 48.34/48.58

Top 8:

1. Matt Richards (Millfield) – 47.84
2. Duncan Scott (Uni of Stirling)  -47.92
3. Tom Dean (Bath PC) – 47.94
4. Alexander Cohoon (Lboro Uni) – 48.20
5. Jacob Whittle (Bath PC) – 48.39
6. David Cumberlidge (Edinburgh Uni) – 48.41
7. Alexander Painter (Millfield) – 48.44
8. Jack McMillan (Uni of Stirling) – 48.81

The first heats of the 100 free were just an appetizer of what was to come as the Junior-Final saw 16-year-old Gabriel Shepard break 50 for the first time, hitting the wall in 49.85. The B-Final was entertaining in a different light as Lewis Burras, one of the favorites and the 2nd fastest Brit, ever missed the A-final and opted to use this swim as a 50-time trial. Burras cranked down the first 50, hitting the wall in 22.33. Burras has one shot left to make the Olympic team in the 50 free, where he is the 2nd seed at 21.92 behind only Ben Proud’s 21.53. Burras finished the 100 in a lackadaisical 41.64, ultimately finishing in 1:03.97.

The final heat was a tight affair, with the Welsh star Matt Richards taking it out fast in 22.79. David Cumberlidge was just behind at 22.86, but it was the experience and back-half speed of Duncan Scott and Thomas Dean who would contest with Richards in the closing meters. Richards would hold on and take the win in 47.84, just .12 over Duncan Scott, who was just 5th at the 50 (23.23). Thomas Dean, who was 6th at the 50 (23.38), closed like a freight train to grab 3rd in 47.94, making the top three swimmers all under 48. Dean was just 48.63 on the relay in Doha, showing that he has improved a lot in the intervening few weeks.

Richards, by virtue of placing first and getting under the nomination standard of 48.06, has punched his ticket to Paris. Scott, who also was under the standard, should (if he chooses to) be able to swim the 100 individually as both he and Dean qualify for Paris as part of the relay. The fourth place finisher tonight, Alexander Cohoon, will be joining the trio in Paris to round out the relay. Cohoon’s time of 48.20 marks a massive improvement as he entered the meet as the #9 seed with his 49.10 for the U23 Meet last summer. This morning, he dipped under 49 for the first time, swimming a preliminary time of 48.44 and, in a matter of hours, knocked another .20 off.

With the swims tonight Great Britain has three swimmers within the World’s Top 10: