2023 SWEDISH GRAND PRIX
- Friday, March 10th – Sunday, March 12th
- Kungsbacka, Sweden
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Preview
- Entries/Results
- Day One Recap
The second day of the 2023 Swedish Grand Prix saw British 13-year-old Amelie Blocksidge down another British Age Record for 13-year-old girls. This time, Blocksidge clocked an 8:39.14 in the women’s 800 free. Not only did the youngster shatter the record of 8:48.54, which she shared with Ceri Unwin, she also won the race tonight by a wide margin. Here is a look at the British Age Record for 13-year-old girls in the event.
Blocksidge put together a great race tonight, swimming a 4:18.92 on the first 400 meters, then coming home in 4:20.22 on the back half. Showing excellent discipline for someone so young, she settled into mid-32 splits for her 50s, never floating up to 33-point on any of her laps.
Another young British up-and-comer, 14-year-old Phoebe Cooper, was on fire tonight in Sweden as well. Cooper won two events on the night, making her the only athlete at the meet today to do so. She opened up the finals session by winning the first event of the night: the women’s 200 free. Cooper ripped a 2:01.18 to win the event comfortably, touching 1.47 seconds ahead of the runner-up. She swam a conservative, disciplined race, splitting 29.50 on the first 50, then going 31.10 on the second 50, before splitting 30.17 and 30.41 respectively on the last two laps. Given that, she actually negative split the race, swimming a 1:00.60 on the first 100 and coming home in 1:00.58.
Cooper then went on to win the women’s 200 IM as well in the middle of the session. She put together an excellent race tonight, splitting 28.83 on fly, 34.19 on back, 39.76 on breast, and 32.33 on free.
British 16-year-old Evie Dilley won the women’s 200 back in 2:14.37, touching first by nearly two full seconds. She was in a tight race at the halfway point, flipping at the 100-meter turn in 1:06.50, then opened up a big lead on the back half of the race.
Swedish breaststroke star Sophie Hansson won the women’s 100 breast convincingly with a 1:07.66. Hansson was great on the back half of the race, splitting 35.50 on the second 50, which was the fastest second 50 split in the field by almost a full second. Hansson also holds the Swedish Record in the event with her personal best of 1:05.66.
Another young swimmer, Swedish 14-year-old Emmy Hallkvist, won the women’s 100 fly in 1:00.40. Hallkvist was trailing Amalie Mikkelsen at the 50-meter turn, but put together a great second 50 to pull into the lead and pull more than a second ahead of Mikkelsen.
Nicholas Lia won the men’s 50 fly in 23.63, finishing as the only swimmer in the field under 24 seconds. Lia had a great reaction time tonight, getting off the blocks faster than anyone else in the ‘A’ final.
Sweden’s Erik Persson took the men’s 200 breast by a huge margin, speeding into the wall for a 2:12.60. Persson was very strong in the middle of the race, splitting 33.50 and 33.81 respectively on the second and third 50s.
A pair of British 17-year-olds, Reece Grady and Harry Wynne-Jones, pulled away from the field in the men’s 400 free tonight. Grady won the race in 3:59.80, touching a little less than a second ahead of Wynne-Jones (4:00.60). Wynne-Jones was leading Grady by a little at the halfway point of the race, but Grady whittled away at that lead through the back half, until he finally inched ahead on the final 50.
England’s Charlie Broome won the men’s 200 fly in 2:03.78, winning the event by well over two seconds. Broome was holding a very slim lead at the 100-meter turn, then quickly took full control of the race on the third 50.
Other Event Winners:
- Kidiest Hodgson won the women’s 50 back in 29.32.
- Sofia Astedt took the women’s 50 free final with a 25.72.
- Isak Eliasson won the men’s 100 free in 49.77, finishing as the only swimmer in the field under 50 seconds. Eliasson posted the fastest split in the field on both 50s tonight, going out in 24.06 and coming home in 25.71.
- Norway’s Markus Lie won the men’s 100 back in 55.99, establishing an early lead and holding it through the second 50.
- The men’s 50 breast saw Jorgen Scheie Brathen win comfortably with a 28.45.
British record in the 400 today
I wonder if she’s ever done any open water races. She clearly has endurance, and that kind of metronomic pacing would go a long way in longer distances.
With Peaty deteriorating rapidly and Duncan having the immune system of a baby deer we can’t lose anymore pool swimmers but yes she’d probably be brilliant at that aswell.
She raced at English OW age group nationals last summer and won by half the course.
Some fantastic swimming, but that negative split 200fr was particularly impressive. Two very exciting talents for British Swimming.
It augurs well for her at the British trials…she could make the junior team for the world junior championships
Spencer,
Little correction for the additional winners – Markus Lie is from Norway.
Even more impressive considering the fact she swam this after smashing her goggles and getting a bad cut on her eye in the morning according to her grandad:
https://swimswam.com/13-yr-old-blocksidge-rips-1631-16-british-age-record-1500-freestyle/#comment-1165070
Looks like Amelie is entered in the 400 as well so should be another nice PB coming.
Her 4:18.92 split in this 800 race was actually a new 400 PB, excited to see what she can do in the 400.
Yeah, I noticed her entry time is slower than her front half split.