2025 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, April 15th – Sunday, April 20th
- Prelims at 9:30am local (4:30am ET)/Finals at 7pm local (2pm ET)
- London Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Aquatics GB World Championships Selection Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview
- Draft Entries
- Live Results
- Livestream
- Live Recaps
The penultimate night of Aquatics GB Championship finals is about to unfold from the London Aquatics Centre, site of swimming action at the 2012 Olympic Games.
We kick things off with the men’s 800m free where swimmers will be chasing an Aquatics GB consideration time of 7:47.80, a threshold under which just two British swimmers have ever been.
Loughborough’s Tyler Melbourne-Smith is the top-seeded contender, carrying a lifetime best of 7:59.59 into the main event.
Then we’ll move into the women’s 100m fly, with Scottish national record holder Keanna MacInnes having fired off the speediest time of the prelims in 58.16.
She’ll try to make it a 200m fly/100m fly double, although teammate Lucy Grieve was also under the 59-second barrier to claim the 2nd seed and try to rain on MacInnes’ parade.
The men’s 200m breast has a tough task ahead of them, as the World Championships qualifying standard sits at a steep 2:09.55.
The likes of Greg Butler, Max Morgan and Filip Nowacki will need to race absolutely lights out in order to clinch the gold in a Singapore-worthy result.
The final two events bring us the men’s 50m free and the women’s 200m IM where it’s very possible we may see more than one swimmer clock the Aquatics GB-mandated QTs.
The former event saw 17-year-old Jacob Mills impress again, following up his 100m free PB of 48.03 with a stellar 21.96 50m free to own the top spot. That marked his first-ever outing under the 22-second barrier.
Ben Proud, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, is pre-qualified for Singapore but still remains among the top 8 with a 2nd seed. Matt Richards was the 3rd-seeded swimmer but dropped out of tonight’s final. That means Lewis Burras, GBR’s #2 performer of all time, has sneaked into the medal-contending affair by the skin of his teeth.
The women’s 200m IM is set to see a battle among 100m/200m backstroke winner Katie Shanahan, two-time Olympian Abbie Wood and European Championships finalist Leah Schlosshan.
MEN’S 800 FREE – FASTEST HEAT
- World Record: 7:32.12 – Zhang Lin (CHN), 2009
- European Record: 7:38.19 – Daniel Wiffen (IRL), 2024
- British Record: 7:44.32 – David Davies, 2009
- 2025 Aquatics GB Worlds Consideration Time: 7:47.80
GOLD – Tyler Melbourne-Smith (Loughborough), 7:58.68
SILVER – Luke Hornsey (Edinburgh), 8:03.11
BRONZE – Alexander Sergeant (Swansea), 8:04.28
The final heat of the men’s 800m free saw 19-year-old Tyler Melbourne-Smith upgrade his silver medal from last year to gold, getting to the wall first in 7:58.68.
The Loughborough ace reaped the sole time of the field under the 8:00 barrier, registering a new lifetime best in the process. Entering this competition, Melbourne-Smith’s career-quickest mark rested at the 7:59.59 logged at the 2024 edition of these championships so he managed to shave nearly a second en route to gold.
Edinburgh’s Luke Hornsey captured silver in 8:03.11 and Alexander Sergeant of Swansea rounded out the podium in 8:04.28.
Unfortunately, the Aquatics GB-mandated qualification time of 7:47.80 needed for Singapore was out of reach for these finalists. In fact, only two men in the history of British Swimming, David Davies (7:44.32) and Stephen Milne (7:46.41) have ever been under that barrier.
Of note, Stockport Metro’s Reece Grady withdrew from the fastest heat due to not feeling well during warm-ups.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY
JUNIOR FINAL
TOP 3:
1. Theodora Taylor (Torfaen), 59.92
2. Edith Price (Mt Kelly), 1:00.45
3. Blythe Kinsman (Mt Kelly), 1:00.57
The top 3 finishers in this junior girls’ 100m fly final all clocked new lifetime bests, led by Torfaen’s Theodora Taylor.
Getting under the European Junior Championships qualification time, Taylor punched a result of 59.92 to overtake her previous PB of 1:00.12 established at the 2024 Swim Wales Summer Meet.
Taylor is quite the versatile swimmer, having earned 100m breast bronze and 200m breast silver at the 2024 European Junior Championships.
A pair of Mount Kelly athletes earned the minor medals, with Edith Price touching in 1:00.45 just ahead of teammate Blythe Kinsman who nabbed bronze in 1:00.57.
MULTI-CLASS PARA FINAL
TOP 3:
1. Faye Rogers (Aberdeen), 1:04.17, 1062 pts
2. Olivia Newman-Baronius (Maxwell), 1:03.73, 966 pts
3. Poppy Maskill (Manchester), 1:04.02, 952 pts
Faye Rogers of Aberdeen produced a time of 1:04.17 to earn the highest multi-class point haul of 1062, plus a new European Record.
Olivia Newman-Baronius was next with 966 points followed by Poppy Maskill in 952 points.
BRITISH OPEN FINAL
- World Record: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh (USA), 2024
- European Record: 55.48 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016
- British Record: 57.25 – Ellen Gandy, 2012
- 2025 Aquatics GB Worlds Consideration Time: 57.20
GOLD – Keanna MacInnes (Stirling), 58.03
SILVER – Lucy Grieve (Stirling), 58.09
BRONZE – Eva Okaro (Repton) & Emily Richards (Manchester), 58.16
The Aquatics GB-mandated qualification time for Singapore stands at a super stiff mark of 57.20, quicker than the current British national record of 57.25 Ellen Gandy logged in 2012.
It was Keanna MacInnes of Stirling who paved the way, bringing it home with a strong back half to keep teammate Lucy Grieve at bay.
MacInnes, the 200m fly golden girl here, stopped the clock at 58.03 (27.35/30.68), sneaking in her touch just .06 ahead of Grieve who settled for silver in 58.09 (27.40/30.69).
Repton’s Eva Okaro, who is having an impressive meet with 50m fly and 50m golds already, collected bronze in 58.16. That was tied with Emily Richards of Manchester Performance Center who touched simultaneously. We reported how Okaro just announced her commitment to compete for the University of Texas in the NCAA.
MacInnes said post-race that her nerves got to her a bit and she wanted to be faster. She owns a lifetime best and Scottish national record of 57.90 from the prelims of this event at the 2024 Olympic Games. There in Paris, MacInnes wound up placing 16th in a slower semi-final result of 58.11 as the sole British representative.
Grieve’s personal best rested at the 58.31 logged at this competition last year, so she managed to shave .22 off en route to silver.
Richards earned her first PB since 2017 while Okaro’s time represents her first-ever foray under the 59-second barrier.
MEN’S 200 BREAST
JUNIOR FINAL
TOP 3:
- William Tonks (Repton), 2:18.87
- Leigh Wilfred (Millfield), 2:19.68
- Charlie Rogers (Basildon), 2:20.53
A near-4-second lifetime best from Repton’s William Tonks brought him the Junior Final gold.
He held a healthy advantage over Leigh Wilfred who wrangled up silver in 2:19.68 while Charlie Rogers clocked 2:20.53 as the bronze medalist.
BRITISH OPEN FINAL
- World Record: 2:05.48 – Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2023
- European Record: 2:05.85 – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2024
- British Record: 2:07.30 – Ross Murdoch, 2018
- 2025 Aquatics GB Worlds Consideration Time: 2:09.55
GOLD – Greg Butler, 2:10.17
SILVER – Filip Nowacki, 2:11.09
BRONZE – George Smith, 2:12.67
After the likes of Ross Murdoch, James Wilby and Andrew Willis are no longer in the British men’s 200m breaststroke swimming picture, the nation is in need of someone to step up and start clocking some world-class times.
Great Britain was without representation in this event at last year’s Olympic Games and World Championships.
Greg Butler was the top British performer at the 2023 World Championships, hitting a time of 2:12.52 to finish 23rd overall.
24-year-old Butler maintained his top spot from the heats this morning, tonight hitting a gold medal-worthy time of 2:10.17. Although that’s a new personal best by .31, it’s well off the rest of the world, whose top performers are well under the 2:10 barrier.
Butler also won the 100m breast here, securing his slot on the men’s medley relay for Singapore.
Runner-up status this evening went to 17-year-old Filip Nowacki who hit 2:11.09 to give the silver to Millfield, ripping his previous PB of 2:12.74 to shreds. His result also destroyed the current British Age Record for 17-year-olds, which stood at 2:12.48 from Kyle Booth in 2019.
Stirling’s George Smith also landed on the podium tonight in 2:12.67 for bronze.
MEN’S 50 FREE
JUNIOR FINAL
TOP 3:
- Jack Brown (Plymouth Leander), 22.71
- Gabriel Shepherd (Leeds), 22.78
- Matthew Hamilton (Plymouth College), 22.87
Jack Brown of Plymouth Leander led the charge in a new personal best of 22.71 to take the junior boys’ 50m freestyle.
In the tight battle to the wall, Gabriel Shepherd out of Leeds hit 22.78 for silver, just off his PB of 22.67, as Matthew Hamilton bagged the bronze in 22.87.
MULTI-CLASS PARA FINAL
TOP 3:
- Matthew Redfern (Worcester), 25.63, 742 pts
- Tomas Navarro-Barber (Portsmouth), 26.54, 730 pts
- Roan Brennan (Basildon), 26.05 691 pts
BRITISH OPEN FINAL
- World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
- European Record: 20.94 – Fred Bousquet (FRA), 2009
- British Record: 21.11 – Ben Proud, 2018
- 2025 Aquatics GB Worlds Consideration Time: 21.88
GOLD – Ben Proud (Cheslea & West), 21.67 *World Championships Qualifying
SILVER – Jacob Mills (Repton), 21.99
BRONZE – Alexander Painter (Millfield), 22.01
Reigning Olympic silver medalist Ben Proud was already pre-qualified for the World Championships in this 50m free but that didn’t stop the 30-year-old from firing off a swift 21.67 to clear the QT of 21.88.
The unshaven Proud just established a new season-best and checks in as the 4th-best performer on the planet at the moment.
2024-2025 LCM Men 50 Free
KORNEV
21.43
| 2 | Gui CARIBE | BRA | 21.46 | 04/25 |
| 3 | Cameron McEvoy | AUS | 21.48 | 04/23 |
| 4 | Leonardo DEPLANO | ITA | 21.62 | 04/13 |
| 5 | Jamie Jack | AUS | 21.66 | 12/17 |
Post-race, Proud said, he was ‘really pleased’ with that. ‘I got everything I wanted out of that – in-season, under-pressure swimming.’
Impressing yet again was 17-year-old Jacob Mills who followed up his top-seeded morning effort of 21.96 with a nearly equal 21.99.
Both outings represent the Repton rising star’s first efforts under the 22-second barrier, crushing his previous PB of 22.38 established just last month at the Edinburgh International Swim Meet. His 21.96 from this morning put a new British Age Record on the books.
Although Mills’ time was outside the QT, he’s already qualified in the 100m free and will most likely get the nod for the 2nd slot in the splash n’ dash.
University of Florida commit Alexander Painter, complete with a Gators jersey on-deck, earned bronze in 22.01. That sliced .15 off his previous career-quickest time of 22.16 from this competition last year.
WOMEN’S 200 IM
JUNIOR FINAL
TOP 3:
- Suzie McNair (Stirling), 2:16.76
- Lydia Cordle (Repton), 2:19.50
- Petra Varga (Wirral Metro), 2:19.66
Stirling’s Suzie McNair ran away with this junior girls’ 200m IM, beating the field by nearly 3 seconds en route to gold.
McNair clinched the victory in a mark of 2:16.76 to best her previous career-best of 2:17.62 from January’s Geneva Challenge.
Repton’s Lydia Cordle earned runner-up status in 2:19.50 followed by Wirral Metro’s Petra Varga‘s mark of 2:19.66.
MULTI-CLASS PARA FINAL
TOP 3:
- Brock Whiston (London), 2:42.25, 921 pts
- Faye Rogers (Aberdeen), 2:28.97, 919 pts
- Bethany Firth (Newcastle), 2:26.58, 889 pts
BRITISH OPEN FINAL
- World Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
- European Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
- British Record: 2:06.88, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, 2016
- 2025 Aquatics GB Worlds Consideration Time: 2:10.62
GOLD – Abbie Wood (Loughborough), 2:08.85 *World Championships Qualifier
SILVER – Katie Shanahan (Stirling), 2:09.88 *World Championships Qualifier
BRONZE – Leah Schlosshan (Manchester) – 2:13.14
After just seeing one World Championships qualifier, Ben Proud, thus far this session, it was terrific for British Swimming fans to see two qualifications in this women’s 200m IM final.
Two-time Olympian Abbie Wood busted out a new personal best of 2:08.85, shaving .06 off her previous PB from this competition last year. She remains the #2 British performer of all time, sitting only behind national record holder and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (2:06.88).
Katie Shanahan collected silver in 2:09.88 as the only other swimmer under the 2:13 barrier. That was just off her career-swiftest mark of 2:09.49 but still enough to easily clear the 2:10.62 QT. Shanahan has already won the women’s 100m and 200m back races here.
Leah Schlosschan maintained her 3rd-slotted position out of the heats, touching in 2:13.14 for the bronze.
Wood now ranks #2 in the world while Shanahan takes over the 5th slot.
2025 Worlds Qualifiers Through Day 4
Pre-Selected
- Ben Proud – men’s 50m free
- Matt Richards – men’s 200m free, men’s 4x200m free relay
- Duncan Scott – men’s 200m IM, men’s 4x200m free relay
- Adam Peaty – men’s 100m breast
- James Guy – men’s 4x200m free relay
- Tom Dean – men’s 4x200m free relay
Swimmers Who Have Hit GBR Selection Standards
- Women’s 4x200m free relay
- Keanna MacInnes – women’s 200m fly
- Freya Colbert – women’s 200m free, 400m IM
- Abbie Wood – women’s 400m IM, 200m IM
- Max Litchfield – men’s 400m IM
- Duncan Scott – men’s 200m fly
- Angharad Evans — women’s 200m breaststroke
- Oliver Morgan — men’s 100m backstroke
- Eva Okaro — women’s 50m freestyle
- Matt Richards — men’s 100m freestyle
- Jacob Mills — men’s 100m freestyle
- Men’s 4×100 freestyle relay
- Men’s 4×100 medley relay
- Katie Shanahan — women’s 200 backstroke, 200m IM
- Holly McGill — women’s 200 backstroke (as 2nd place finisher, will be considered for the team)
At this point do yall think the economical and political situation is affecting the sport ?
I guess at this point swimming is more of a luxury
Yet another pedestrian Women’s 100 fly outside 58.0. What is it with GB in this event? The fact the Worlds qualifying time is faster than the British record says it all. As I remember, the record wasn’t that fast by world standards even when it was set in 2012. Now it wouldn’t even make a world final and yet British women can’t get anywhere near it
By my reckoning thats 20 qualified (Including McGill), with MacMillan, Greenbank and Anderson hopefully tomorrow. That leaves 7 extra spots, wonder who they will take.
My thoughts:
On women’s backstroke, any idea why Medi Harris is missing trials? With shanahan and McGill they’ll have 2 backstrokers, so I doubt they’ll take anyone else. The women’s medley is unlikely to be viewed as a priority at the moment.
I think Lauren Cox will be selected.
With one day to go, I expect Freya Anderson, Luke greenbank and kara Hanlon to qualify.
1:06.31 is a bit of a stretch for Hanlon I think, but she has a good chance of being discretionally selected. Also, I expect McMillan will qualify for the 4×2.
Right now, 20 have qualified( 11 men,
9 women), there are three discretionary slots( Emily Richards, Jonny marshall and Lauren Cox).not including the fifth and sixth placer in the 100 free.
Doubt fifth or sixth in the 100 Free will get selected since we have Dunks to bring in at Worlds, and GB’s never used 6 for the 4×1 Free ever since that Tokyo disaster.
A very weak squad on the men’s side in my meaningless opinion. Japan, who was until recently known for their ridiculous standards, have eased their standards to ensure we have a full squad. GB should do the same. Qualification standards should never be faster than the national record.
Completely agree. If this kind of thing was happening in a money making sport all the swimmers over the years who were left home despite qualifying would be representing gulf countries for money.
Wood 2:08.85
Shanahan 2:09.88
New PB for Abbie
Lewis Burras maybe most random worlds finalist of last 5 years. He’s never recreated that 47.6 lead off form (or been close for that matter) and has been washed since
Who does the para classification assessments? I am particularly interested in the S14 category.
S14 is a category that often gets questioned in para meets. Many people will remember the Spanish basketball team at the 2000 olympics. S14 is quite a wide ranging category, ranging from pattern recognition, to memory difficulties. If you watch S14 swimmers, they often have lower reaction times and may struggle with pacing a bit more. The reason the UK is so strong in this category is: Better capability to identify these athletes, and a strong pedigree of this category, meaning swimmers can be trained more suitably to their disability. (Bethany Firth swam for Ireland before switching to GB because they had better training for S14 swimmers.)