British World Championship Team Set To Compete In Rome

Great Britain’s Worlds team will compete in Rome this week at the Sette Colli trophy to continue their preparations for the upcoming championship.

The team first converged at the Japan Open in May, and this meet will be for many their last competition until the World Championships. Swimming is set to get underway in Budapest on July 23rd.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist and defending 200 freestyle World champion James Guy is looking forward to the upcoming meet.

“It’s the last time we will race before the Worlds and it will be nice to see where we are and if any adjustments are needed in the last three to four weeks before the Championships,” said Guy.

“Rome will also provide a good opportunity to race the Australians – we don’t get that many chances – and hosts Italy will also be a strong challenge.”

Guy also commented on his recent training block, saying that he’s had great preparation and is feeling confident heading into the rest of the summer.

“My preparations since we came together in Tokyo last month have been good,” added Guy.  “I’m in a great place, I’m happy with what I’m doing and how I feel, and this gives me great confidence.

“The work in the pool and the gym is some of the best I’ve ever done and it’s nice that everything is coming together for Budapest.”

World Championship first-timer Charlotte Atkinson echoed Guy’s excitement for the meet in Rome.

“I’ve put in a solid block of work since making the team and I’m excited to see the impact of this as I look to work on my skills and processes in Rome,” said Atkinson.

 “Preparations have gone really well since our last competition in Tokyo last month. I picked up a few things I wanted to work on and I will be looking to put these into practice in Rome.

 “It is a fantastic event and offers a field that will feature some very tough girls. To compete outdoors in a former Olympic and World Championship pool is so exciting, it gives you that added buzz.”

British Swimming Head Coach Bill Furniss believes the meet is a fantastic opportunity to race some of the best athletes out there while at the same time giving them a fair amount of time before they meet again in Hungary.

“This is another opportunity to bring our swimmers, coaches and staff together, and to operate as a cohesive unit,” Furniss said.

 “We know the competition in Rome will be good and is one of the key reasons for selecting the event. We wanted a competition at the end of June that allowed swimmers to race close to when they start their taper phase which is where they lessen the workload in preparation to race rested.

 “The timing is ideal in terms of preparation. All of the swimmers are in hard training still and so it’s a final opportunity to practice race processes before they begin their taper.”

Along with the Australians and host Italians, there will also be athletes from the Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark and South Africa in attendance. South Korea’s Park Tae Hwan is also slated to compete.

You can check out the full start lists here, courtesy of Best Swimming.

Quotes courtesy of British Swimming.