British Swimming has announced a roster of 12 swimmers for the 2014 World Short Course Championships, included among them 11 Commonwealth Games medals and 6 European Championship medals.
After an electric summer that saw the country suddenly among the jewels of the swimming world, Britain has returned to smaller squads that they’d been plagued by previously. Head Coach Bill Furniss says that this isn’t a “key stage meet” for Britain, rather it is being used as an opportunity to work on details ahead of the big pool World Championships in Kazan, Russia next year.
“It’s a small team but one which is full of some of our leading performers from what has been a successful year,” explained Furniss. “Whereas these short course World Championships are not a key stage meet for us they are still very important in terms of the development of our athletes and their racing strategies.
“Short course swimming is all about starts, turns and finishes and we will be looking to use Doha to practice and improve these skills ahead of the long course season next year.”
Included on the team is Britain’s newest World Record holder: Adam Peaty.
“These World Championships will be a first for me,” said Peaty, “Short course has a different feel but, once again, this event will put me under pressure to perform for my country at the highest level and that helps my development. It will be an amazing experience and a really good event to improve on skills and increase my exposure in that kind of environment.
“I’ve been pleased with the year to date in terms of moving things forward. There are lots of areas where I have improved but it doesn’t end there and I’m still pushing myself as I try to reach my full potential.”
Peaty broke the 50m long course breaststroke World Record at the 2014 European Championships in Berlin in late August in a semi-final race and went on to win gold in that event in finals. He also won individual golds in the 100 breaststroke at both the European Championships and earlier at the Commonwealth Games.
GB won a solid haul of 6 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze), but won’t return half of those with the absence of Michael Jamieson (silver, 100 breast) and Jemma Lowe (bronze, 100/200 fly) both absent. The expectation after this summer’s swims, however, will be high to at least repeat that total.
The British men will have their suddenly highly-anticipated medley relay complete at this meet with Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, Adam Barrett, and Ben Proud. That’s the relay that took the European title ahead of France and the Commonwealth title ahead of Australia. Many of the major players have yet to announce their full rosters (including the Americans – expected Wednesday), but when they do, most won’t have their best medleys. That could but the Brits in line for gold, if not a minor medal at a bare minimum.
Britain hasn’t had a relay medal at this meet since 2008, when their women earned minor medals in all three events and their men took silver in the 800 free relay.
Hannah Miley will be defending her 400 IM title as well after breaking the Championship Record in 2012 in Dubai.
The full list of 12 for Worlds is below.
- Adam Barrett – British Gas GBR National Centre, Loughborough
- James Guy – Millfield
- Ross Murdoch – University of Stirling
- Adam Peaty – City of Derby
- Ben Proud – Plymouth Leander
- Chris Walker-Hebborn – British Gas GBR National Centre, Bath
- Jazz Carlin – Swansea Performance Centre
- Georgia Davies – British Gas GBR National Centre, Loughborough
- Fran Halsall – British Gas GBR National Centre, Loughborough
- Hannah Miley – Garioch
- Siobhan Marie O’Connor – British Gas GBR National Centre, Bath
- Sophie Taylor – City of Leeds
IMO all the British guys will be faster. Long course times for this year are more use, I would say.
A lot of SC swimmers does not go well on LC, also a lot of LC swimmers don´t go so well on SC.. so using LC times maybe won´t show the real potential..
The British swimmers’ SC times are all off of heavy training. All four are also a lot faster now than last year. It is a very safe bet that all four will be faster than their times.
Both medley relays should be very competitive, especially the men who have a great shot at gold (pending the US team). RSA shouldn’t be much of a problem given their terrible backstroke, and I don’t think Brazil are that great. That said, it presumes the British guys are in form. The women also look good, and should at least break the British Record set two years ago.
The women’s 4×2 should also be good, so long as it is entered.O’Connor, Carlin and Miley are three solid legs, and if Halsall is willing to step up for the team then they should be good. Halsall is the short course record holder for the 200m, albeit from back in 2009.
Iain, situation of the medley relays (2014/2015 season SC times)
GB TEAM: Proud (47,59), Peaty (58,54 but will be faster), Barret (50,05), Hebbon (50,55) – Total: 3:26:73
Brazil: Cielo (46,08), Macedo (50,06)/Nicholas (50,60), França (56,25), Guido (50,28) – Total: 3:22:67
RSA: Leith (47:30), Le Clos (48,56), Van der Burgh (47,01), but can´t find the backstroker..
US: Ervin (46,48), Shields (48,80), Godsoe (49,87), Cordes (56,88) – Total: 3:22:03 (If they send this team)
US roster release
Possible Medley Relay:
Greevers/Locthe or Shields/Miller/Feigen or Dwyer..
Interested to see what sort of short course times Peaty can put up, the men’s breast events could be very exciting, and the British medley relays will both be very competitive.
No Adam Brown? Even though He’s a short course swimmer.
I think Doha will be the King Chad show all the way.
I wonder if the US will send Phelps or Ledecky. I don’t suppose they would send Dressel although I would love to see that.
The US has to be the favorite in the medley relay, but BRA and RSA will be pretty good
Phelps obviously isn’t going at this point, and if I had to guess I would say that Ledecky probably doesn’t want to miss time out of her senior year for short course worlds. The meet just isn’t a top priority for the US although I would love to see Katie go destroy some world records.
Strange how Adam Brown who is fastest short course swimmer (in last 12 months) at 50 and 100 freestyle isn’t on the team but someone who is only the 3rd fastest short course swimmer in the 50 and 100 freestyle is on the team.
Rankings found at: http://www.swimmingresults.org/12months/
Didn’t he become a father in the summer? Perhaps he declined selection to spend some time with his new child.
Peaty vs França on 100 breast.. add Gyurta, koseki and Scozzoli.. it will be fun.
Britain will have his hands full to beat RSA and BRA on medley relay.. US will be on the mix too if they send Shields and someone like Feigen to handle the free leg..