Anna Hopkin Scorches Near-Euros Level 50 Free Performance In Glasgow

2021 BRITISH SWIMMING GLASGOW MEET

• Thursday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 6th
• Prelims at 5:30 pm local night before/Finals at 10:00 am local
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Last Chance Olympic Qualifier
• SwimSwam Preview
• Start Lists – DRAFT
• Live Results
• Livestream

More than 300 athletes have descended upon the Tollcross International Swimming Centre for the British Swimming Glasgow Meet.

The competition marks the largest and most inclusive event run by British Swimming and its partners since the return to competition under COVID-19 protocols, with this meet’s environment being contained in a secure bubble-type format.

For any swimmer who has not achieved a British Swimming-mandated cut in an Olympic event in which there are still slots available, this meet represents the final opportunity to put on a performance worthy of consideration.

Already Olympic qualified Abbie Wood led the women’s 200m IM heats tonight, producing a time of 2:10.14 while Max Litchfield led brother Joe Litchfield in the men’s edition. The former hit 2:00.15 while the latter posted 2:00.86. Stirling duo Mark Szaranek and Duncan Scott were next in line with 2:01.10 and 2:01.76 respectively.

Scott blew away the field in this event at the British Olympic Selection Trials, smashing a 1:55.90 new British national record en route to adding his name to the Olympic roster for this 2IM. The aforementioned Joe Litchfield also qualified for Tokyo with his time there in London of 1:57.74.

The women’s and men’s 100m fly event was also on tonight’s prelims agenda with Keanna Macinnes and James Guy taking their respective pole positions. Macinnes, who has a solid shot of making the squad this weekend in the 200m fly, posted a prelims swim of 59.43 while Guy grabbed the top spot in 52.04.

The women’s 100m backstroke European champion, Kathleen Dawson, leads the women’s 200m back here, hitting a time of 2:11.81. 16-year-old Katie Shanahan scored the runner-up slot in 2:12.51.

Cassie Wild, training partner and University of Stirling teammate to Dawson, sneaked into tomorrow morning’s final in a time of 2:16.32 as the 8th slotted swimmer.

Wild put up the performance of her life to not only capture European Championships silver in this 200m back event (2:07.74) but also add her name to the Olympic roster for Great Britain in the event.

Speedster Anna Hopkin has already qualified in the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle events, but that didn’t stop the former Arkansas Razorback from unleashing the 5th fastest time of her career.

Roaring to the wall in a mark of 24.67, Hopkin’s time sits just .16 away from her 6th place-rendering result of 24.51 from the European Championships. Trying to become the 2nd swimmer on the roster in this event are Isabella Hindley and Lucy Hope, who each are gunning for the 24.60 qualification time needed for Tokyo.

Additional Notes:

• Loughborough’s Elliot Clogg posted a heats swim of 1:58.10 to hold a 1+ second advantage over the field for tomorrow’s main event. European Championships silver medalist Luke Greenbank lurks as the 3rd seed (1:59.53).
• The silver medalist in the men’s 50m free in Budapest, Ben Proud, is back in action, holding the top spot out of the heats in 22.10.
• The women’s 50m breast saw Sarah Vasey notched the only sub-31 second time in 30.95, while European champion Adam Peaty produced a mark of 27.00 to lead the men.