2026 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, April 14th – Sunday, April 19th
- Prelims at 9:30am local (4:30am ET)/B-Finals & Junior Finals at 6pm local (1pm ET)/A-finals at 7:45pm local (2:45pm ET)
- London Aquatics Centre
- European Championships Selection Policy
- SwimSwam Preview
- Meet Central
- Entries
- Prelims Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2
- Finals Recaps: Day 1| Day 2
- Start Lists/Live Results
- Livestream
The stage is set for another exciting round of finals at the 2026 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, with swimmers vying not only for European Championships qualification but also the chance to represent their Home Nations at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Tonight, we’ll be treated to a schedule containing the men’s 1500m free, women’s 50m back, women’s 200m breast, men’s 100m back, women’s 200m free and men’s 100m free events.
The prelims of the men’s 100m free nearly set the London Aquatics Centre pool on fire, as we were already treated to a pair of sub-48-second swims.
National record holder, 23-year-old Olympic multi-medalist Matt Richards, staked his claim on the title, ripping a mark of 47.61 as the top seed.
That already came just .17 outside of the 47.45 British standard he established in 2023.
Behind him was 18-year-old Jacob Mills, with the two-time individual medalist from last year’s World Junior Championships, scorching a new lifetime best of 47.72 to claim the second seed.
Mills’ morning effort erased the teen’s former PB of 47.74 from last year in Otopeni to remain GBR’s #3 performer of all-time.
400m free champion James Guy popped a new PB of 48.38 en route to claiming the 4th seed, with his Olympic teammate Jack McMillan touching slightly ahead of him in 48.37 as the 3rd seed.
We’ll see what the men have stored in their tanks for tonight’s main event, where not only individual qualification but European Championships relay qualification is also on the line.
Another national record holder, 22-year-old Ollie Morgan brought the heat in the heats of the men’s 100m back. He scorched a mark of 52.79 to fall just over half a second outside his best-ever.
He’ll be chased by the likes of Matthew Ward, Jack Skerry, Luke Greenbank and Cameron Brooker in tonight’s medal-contending race.
On the women’s side, national record holder Angharad Evans looked in control of the 200m breast heats, with Abbie Wood and Kara Hanlon also in the mix.
Both Freya’s – Freya Colbert and Freya Anderson– are among the 200m free pack, along with contenders Leah Schlosshan, Theodora Taylor and 200m fly qualifier here, Emily Richards.
MEN’S 1500 FREE – FASTEST HEAT
- British Record – 14.45.95, David Davies, 2004
- GBR Euros QT – 14:58.76
- ENG Commonwealth QT – 15:19.33
- WAL Commonwealth QT – 15:16.45
- SCO Commonwealth QT – 15:25.85
- NI Commonwealth QT – 15:15.42
GOLD – Reece Grady, 15:14.76 *ENG Commonwealth QT*
SILVER – Alexander Sargeant, 15:20.49
BRONZE – Luke Hornsey 15:23.73
21-year-old Reece Grady captured his second men’s 1500m freestyle British title in a row, stopping the clock tonight at a time of 15:14.76.
That marked a huge lifetime best for the Arizona State University swimmer, handily erasing his former PB of 15:21.54 from last year’s edition of this competition.
Although he missed the British qualification time for the European Championships, it was enough to make the English squad for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Behind Grady was Alexander Sargeant, who snagged silver in 15:20.49, while Luke Hornsey rounded out the podium in 15:23.73.
WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL
- British Record – 27.15, Lauren Cox, 2025
- GBR Euros QT – 27.66
- ENG Commonwealth QT – 28.22
- WAL Commonwealth QT – 28.46
- SCO Commonwealth QT – 28.38
- NI Commonwealth QT – 28.64
GOLD – Lauren Cox, 27.39, *GBR Euros QT* *ENG Commonwealth QT*
SILVER – Blythe Kinsman, 28.10 *ENG Commonwealth QT*
BRONZE – Medi Harris, 28.67
National record holder Lauren Cox busted out a field-dominating effort of 27.39 to get to the wall in a healthy advantage ahead of her competitors.
The 24-year-old registered a gold medal-worthy result of 27.39, a mark just .24 outside her lifetime best and British and national record of 27.14 notched last year.
19-year-old World Junior Championships multi-medalist Blythe Kinsman hit 28.10 as the silver medalist, hitting an English Commonwealth Games qualifying time in the process.
Medi Harris, who has struggled since the 2024 Olympic Games, was also on the podium, turning in a time of 28.67 for the bronze.
WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL
British Record – 2:20.89, Molly Renshaw, 2021- GBR Euros QT – 2:23.76
- ENG Commonwealth QT – 2:24.49
- WAL Commonwealth QT – 2:27.36
- SCO Commonwealth QT – 2:26.54
- NI Commonwealth QT – 2:28.10
GOLD – Angharad Evans, 2:19.70 *British Record* *GBR Euros QT*
SILVER – Abbie Wood, 2:24.72
BRONZE – Anna Morgan, 2:26.40 *SCO Commonwealth QT*
22-year-old University of Stirling star Angharad Evans scorched the pool and her teammates, ripping a lifetime best and new national record of 2:19.70 in this women’s 200m breaststroke.
Splitting 31.97/35.26/35.92/36.55, Evans’ outing here obliterated the former British national record of 2:20.89 Molly Renshaw established in 2021.
Entering this competition, Evan’s lifetime best in this event rested at the 2:21.86 turned in at the 2025 edition of this competition, so she hacked about 2 seconds off that former result to make history tonight.
Evans now ranks #1 in the world on the season.
2025-2026 LCM Women 200 BREAST
Evans
2:19.70
| 2 | Kate Douglass | USA | 2:20.86 | 12/06 |
| 3 | Evgenia Chikunova | RUS | 2:21.48 | 04/18 |
| 4 | Mona McSharry | IRL | 2:22.22 | 04/10 |
| 5 | Lisa ANGIOLINI | ITA | 2:22.28 | 04/15 |
MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL
- British Record – 52.12, Ollie Morgan, 2025
- GBR Euros QT – 53.47
- ENG Commonwealth QT – 53.77
- WAL Commonwealth QT – 54.99
- SCO Commonwealth QT – 54.35
- NI Commonwealth QT – 54.75
GOLD – Ollie Morgan, 52.41 *GBR Euros QT* *ENG Commonwealth QT*
SILVER – Matthew Ward, 53.58 *SCO Commonwealth QT*
BRONZE – Cameron Brooker, 53.69 *ENG Commonwealth QT*
22-year-old Ollie Morgan bulldozed tonight’s men’s 100m backstroke field, hitting the sole time of the final under the 53-second barrier, claiming gold by over a second.
Morgan ripped a season-best of 52.41, a mark just .30 outside his career-swiftest and British national record of 52.12 thrown down in 2025.
Matthew Ward produced a mark of 53.58 en route to silver, just off the 53.29 Scottish national record he put on the books during the heats this morning.
Representing Bath Performancer Centre, Cameron Brooker nabbed bronze in 53.69.
Morgan now ranks as the #3 performer in the world on the season, with the top 3 performers separated by only .02.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL
British Record – 1:54.98, Freya Colbert, 2026- GBR Euros QT – 1:56.89
- ENG Commonwealth QT – 1:57.08
- WAL Commonwealth QT – 1:59.04
- SCO Commonwealth QT – 1:58.46
- NI Commonwealth QT – 1:59.99
GOLD – Freya Colbert, 1:54.34 *British Record* *GBR Euros QT* *ENG Commonwealth QT*
SILVER – Freya Anderson, 1:57.00 *ENG Commonwealth QT*
BRONZE – Leah Schlosshan, 1:57.49
Another British national record bit the dust tonight, this time at the hands of 400m IM world champion Freya Colbert in the women’s 200m free.
Stopping the clock at a mighty mark of 1:54.34, the 22-year-old Loughborough ace overtook her own previous PB and national record of 1:54.98 she notched just last month at the Edinburgh International Swimming Meet.
Colbert split 27.30/28.49/29.09/29.46 to hit her best time ever and grab the gold en route to qualifying for this year’s European Championships and Commonwealth Games.
Freya Anderson snagged the silver in 1:57.00 and Leah Schlosshan captured bronze in 1:57.49. Theodora Taylor, just 17, reaped 4th place in 1:58.31 to make the relay squad.
MEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL
- British Record – 47.45, Matt Richards, 2023
- GBR Euros QT – 48.06
- ENG Commonwealth QT – 48.13
- WAL Commonwealth QT – 49.39
- SCO Commonwealth QT – 48.54
- NI Commonwealth QT – 49.07
GOLD – Matt Richards, 47.53 *GBR Euros QT* *WAL Commonwealth QT*
SILVER – Jacob Mills, 48.09, *ENG Commonwealth QT*
BRONZE – Jacob Whittle, 48.52
The men’s 100m free final tonight did not disappoint, where we saw another two performances under the 48-second barrier in the medal-contending race.
National record holder and multi-Olympic medalist Matt Richards of Manchester Performance Centre led the charge, stopping the clock at a mighty 47.53.
Opening in 23.14 and closing in 24.39, Richards notched the sole time of the field under the 48-second barrier.
Behind him was 18-year-old World Junior Championships multi-medalist Jacob Mills, who touched in 48.09 for silver, with two-time Olympic swimmer Jacob Whittle rounding out the podium in 48.52.
As for Richards, his lifetime best remains at the British national record of 47.45 he put on the books in 2023. Mills, however, hit a lifetime best of 47.72 this morning to rank as GBR’s #2 performer of all time before adding slightly to place 2nd on the night.
McMillan already made noise in the 400m free at this competition, but nabbed 48.37, a new lifetime best from this morning, before dropping to 48.62 for 4th place in the final race.
Age group records for Przyczyna and Manley already this evening.
Dan Jervis : “I prioritsed what events I done that week”. I am having to watch with the volume off.
Anyone know what has happened with Isabelle Liptrot. 2:23 last year, nowhere to be seen this year?
What’s happened to Lewis Burras swimming career
He’s not registered on the GB aquatics member website.
Lewis Burras has happened to it. Mans was a classic of ‘blame the whole world for my problems instead of just going to therapy.’
Sean McCann did the Scottish QT for Commies in the 1500m.
I hope the media respect the family for once – I can just see the headlines; “Madeline McCann’s brother blah blah blah”
I do too.
So far, so good at these AGB Championships.
After a ring of change in leadership and coaching, there was a concern of aging athletes in decline and a lack of talent coming through but, AGB have quickly turned the narrative around.
The overall quality and depth look to have lifted. Encouragingly, multiple females are producing genuine world-class performances, the experienced male cohort continues to hold its ground, and off the back of an exceptional junior year there’s a clear wave of more emerging talent stepping up.
As ever, the real test will be how this translates into summer benchmark performances. That said, there’s confidence in the coaching and leadership to convert.
With three days remaining and several key events… Read more »
Evans over chikonova and Douglas
Not when it comes to racing
Not the 200, but she’s going to break the WR in the 100.
Reece — Nice racing in defending your 1500 championship from 2025.