The entries for the British Swimming Championships closed on March 3rd, the first draft programme has now been published and it is now time to take a look at what some of the most compelling races of the competition may be.
1. Women’s 100 freestyle
This race should be a battle between two Commonwealth Games stars, Fran Halsall and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor. Halsall collected two individual gold in Glasgow winning the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle. She also posted the fastest time she has done since 2011 in the 100 freestyle recording a 53.99 finishing fourth.
One thing that must be added is Halsall had an absolutely magnificent split in the England’s women’s 4 x 100 medley relay where she recorded a 52.58.
O’Connor won gold in the 200 IM and silver in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly in Glasgow. She also posted her lifetime best of 54.06 leading off the England’s women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay.
O’Connor’s improvement across the board last year was incredible, which included her 100 freestyle an event where her best time entering 2014 was a 56.20.
Halsall has the speed and O’Connor has the endurance this should be an exciting one.
2. Men’s 200 breaststroke
The three men who went one, two, three, four at the Commonwealth Games will be fighting it out once again. Ross Murdoch, who won the Commonwealth gold, posted a lifetime best of 2:07.30 in Glasgow. It was an incredible improvement for Murdoch who began the year with a personal best of 2:13.62.
Michael Jamieson, who won the silver in Glasgow, has a lifetime best of 2:07.43 which he recorded in London to win the Olympic silver medal. Jamieson got the better of Murdoch at the Scottish Championships last year, but it was Murdoch who touched ahead of Jamieson when it really counted.
Andrew Willis, who won the bronze at the Commonwealth Games, has a lifetime best of 2:08.47, which he recorded in the semi-final at the London Olympics. Willis’ 2014 season’s best was recorded in the semi-final at the European Championships where he went a 2:08.93.
Adam Peaty finished just outside of the medals in this event in Glasgow. Peaty had incredible success in the sprint events last summer breaking the world record in the 50 breaststroke at the European Championships, but should not be overlooked in the longer event. He posted a lifetime best of 2:09.40 in 2014 finishing second to Jamieson at last year’s British Gas Championships.
3. Women’s 200 breaststroke
This will be a race between 18 year old Molly Renshaw, the 200 breaststroke British record holder and 19 year old Sophie Taylor, who holds the British records in both the 50 and 100 breaststroke.
Renshaw won the bronze in the event at the Commonwealth Games and went on to win the silver at the European Championships posting a new British record of 2:23.82. She improved by almost three full seconds in 2014 beginning the year with a lifetime best of 2:26.81.
Taylor broke both the 50 and 100 breaststroke records in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games. She took the gold in the 100 meter distance, but failed to make the final in the 200 breaststroke posting a time of 2:30.66 in the heats.
Taylor had recorded a lifetime best earlier that year at the British Gas National Championships winning the event in a time of 2:24.46.
The competition will run from April 14-18th. The full meet programme can be found here.
When does the championships start?
Did anyone else notice that Darren Lim from Singapore is now training at and racing for Ruta Meilutyte and Ben Proud’s club (Plymouth Leander)?
Men’s 100 Breaststroke…..purely because Adam Peaty will break the World Record and potentially the first man sub 58!!
He really needs to get the angle of entry with his legs sorted off the start though!
Where did you find the draft programme?
Thanks
Halsall’s PB is 52.87 from 2009 worlds but she’s been 53.47 in textile in Shanghai. That said her match up with O’Connor promises to be a cracker. Siobhan’s definitely capable of a 53 point.