Loughborough University’s Lucy Fox has been added to Team England’s squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. She is one of two late call-ups alongside para cycling pilot Anna Whitworth-Hay.
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It is not immediately clear what circumstances led to Fox’s addition to the team, although Section 2e) of the Swim England Commonwealth Games Selection Policy does state the following:
Depending on the number of eligible athletes, fewer or more athletes may be selected than stipulated.
Section 3 of the selection policy states:
The overall Aquatics team size is up to 43, with a split of up to 15 Para-athletes and 28 Olympic athletes
The team announced by Swim England on May 12th contained 28 Olympic athletes and 14 Para-athletes, including world record holders Adam Peaty, Will Ellard, Alice Tai, and Poppy Maskill. Fox’s inclusion would therefore take the total team size to its maximum of 43, but with 29 Olympic athletes.
The 20-year-old has been a fixture on the podium at the British University Championships over the last couple of years, winning the 800 free, placing second in the 200 fly, and taking bronze in the 100 fly at the LCM 2026 edition, and winning the 400 free in 2025.
She hit the English consideration time in the 200 fly at the Aquatics GB Championships, clocking a PB of 2:08.90 for fourth place behind Keanna Macinnes, Emily Richards, and Ciara Schlosshan. Macinnes and Schlosshan both represent Scotland internationally.
Fox also set lifetime bests in the 200 free (1:59.99), and 400 free (4:10.08) at the meet in April, and broke 1:00 in the 100 fly for just the second time in her career in a time of 59.89.
That makes her the third-fastest swimmer in the event on the team, after Richards (58.72) and Eva Okaro (59.22). England’s top 100 fly swimmer over the last 12 months, Betsy Wizard (58.65), was not selected to the team.
While entries have not been released for the Games so far, the Selection Policy does allow for swimmers to add events beyond those in which they have hit the consideration time in, provided the maximum quota of three entries per nation is not exceeded. Fox is likely to add the 400 free to the 200 fly for her individual events, and may add the 100 fly to the mix as well.
The 200 fly will however be the focus of the meet for Fox. She has dropped 2:11.07 to 2:08.90 in the event between July 2025 and April 2026, adding speed on both the front and back half of the race.
She will be seeded in the top eight, behind Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS, 2:04.95), Brittany Castelluzzo (AUS, 2:06.95), Keanna Macinnes (SCO, 2:07.02), Emily Richards (ENG, 2:07.70), Ciara Schlosshan (SCO, 2:08.60), and Jess Cole (AUS, 2:08.81).
Great for Lucy, well deserved after a great short course year.
But it is mind boggling that Reece Grady has been left out still. He swam a 15:08 1500 yesterday to back up his dominant British Champs performance and is ranked top 3 in the commonwealth for the distance events which are events GB is in desperate need for a new lease of life and encouragement by getting selected would have literally been ideal for confidence and event progression???
Agree 100%. He would have been right in with a shout in the 1500 and also 800 (7:55 this week). Got to think it’s because he trains in Arizona. Can see why people switch to other home nations or drop down to 200s.
I tried to separate my point slightly from Lucy’s selection.
Lucy I think may have had the next highest % under the QT and there is also already less women then men on the swimming team which also might be a factor.
Leaving him out though is literally leaving out a genuine medal threat in an event that could open so many doors for him and general swimming in GB to be competitive. I’m not sure how entry allocation works across team England but I know English Athletics left quite a few spots unfilled so I doubt they are short on kit hahaha