Angharad Evans Sets British Record In 100 Breast With 1:05.37, Takes Over World Lead

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
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

On the final night of the 2025 Aquatics GB Championships, which is the only selection opportunity for British swimmers aiming to qualify for the World Championships this July in Singapore, Angharad Evans set a new British record and world-leading time in the women’s 100 breaststroke.

The 21-year-old stopped the clock at 1:05.37, breaking her own national record of 1:05.54 set last May. Italy’s Anita Bottazzo held the previous fastest 2025 time, with her 1:05.82 from the Italian National Championships earlier this week.

Evans’ drop from her previous mark came entirely from the backhalf, where she shaved 0.20 off her previous split while taking the race out just 0.03 slower. See a full splits comparison between the two record swims below.

Splits Comparison:

Evans’ time of 1:05.37 would have been fast enough for silver at the Paris Olympics, where Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) claimed gold with a time of 1:05.28. The time also would have earned silver at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, which positions Evans in a strong spot for a podium finish this summer in Singapore.

Prior to tonight’s performance, Evans had already qualified for the World Championships with a world-leading 2:21.86 in the 200 breast—a time that was recently surpassed by world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova, who posted a 2:20.36 just hours later. Evans’ best in that event before this week was 2:22.64, recorded at the BUCS Championships in Sheffield in February.

After representing the University of Georgia for one season—where she placed 7th in the 100 breast at the 2022 SEC Championships and 20th at NCAAs—Evans stepped away from international racing, taking an extended break and sitting out of competition entirely for a full year following the 2022 NCAA Championships.

After returning to Great Britain to train at the University of Stirling in Scotland, Evans made her comeback in 2023 at the British Championships, where she placed 3rd in both the 50 and 100 breast, narrowly missing a spot on Team GB’s World Championship roster.

Evans’ breakthrough came at the 2024 British Olympic Trials, where she won the 100 breast in 1:06.54, securing a spot on her first major international team—junior or senior—after throwing down a big personal best of 1:06.27 in the morning heats. She then competed at the AP Race London meet, winning the 100 breast with the aforementioned previous national record of 1:05.54.

In Paris, Evans followed up with a strong 1:05.85 to place 6th in the final. She capped off her season at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Hungary, contesting all three breast events. There, she finished 12th in the 50, 7th in the 100, and 8th in the 200. Notably, her prelims swim in the 100 breast—1:03.45—was a national record.

Progression of Evans’ 100 LCM Breaststroke Performances:

• 1:08.05, 2023 British Swimming Championships
• 1:07.10, 2024 BUCS Long Course Championships (heats)
• 1:06.65, 2024 BUCS Long Course Championships
• 1:06.27, 2024 British Olympic Trials
• 1:06.25, 2024 Edinburgh International
• 1:05.54, 2024 AP Race International
• 1:05.37, 2025 Aquatics GB Championships