2023 SCOTTISH SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friday, December 8th – Sunday, December 10th
- Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh, Scotland
- SCM (25m)
- Day 1 Recap
- Livestream
- Live Results
Day 2 Highlights
While Great Britain’s Matthew Richards and James Guy were collecting gold and silver in the men’s 200m free at the European Short Course Championships, several of their teammates were in the water for day two of the Scottish Short Course Championships.
Millfield’s Elliot Woodburn topped the men’s 100m breaststroke tonight in Edinburgh, producing a winning effort of 58.73. The 18-year-old led a trio of sub-minute swimmers, with Rory Dickerson and George Smith hitting times of 58.91 and 59.89 for respective silver and bronze.
Bath’s Kieran Bird already nailed a new British national record last night in the men’s 800m free and the 24-year-old followed with a victory in the 200m free.
Bird stopped the clock at 1:44.54 to get to the wall nearly one second ahead of his competitors. Two-time European Junior Championships bronze medalist Matthew Ward was next in 1:45.34 while Loughborough’s Charlie Brown bagged bronze in 1:45.71.
A British Junior Record bit the dust this evening at the hands of Basildon’s Skye Carter.
Taking on the women’s 50m free, 16-year-old Carter snagged silver in a result of 24.79, just behind winner Isabella Hindley‘s gold medal-worthy 24.64.
Entering this meet, Carter held the British Jr Record with the 25.13 she logged in February of this year. That means her result this evening represents her first-ever foray under the 25-second barrier in the event.
14-year-old Amelie Blocksidge collected another gold medal after topping the women’s 800m free last night in a new British Junior Record.
This evening, Salford’s Blocksidge put up a time of 4:07.47 to win the 400m free in a new lifetime best. Her outing undercut the 4:08.41 notched earlier this season. She is well on her way to chasing Freya Anderson‘s British Junior Record of 4:05.69 that’s been on the books for 7 years.
20-year-old Stirling standout Angharad Evans had a breakthrough meet last weekend in the long course format while competing at the Rotterdam Qualification meet and tonight she made her presence known here.
Contesting the women’s 200m breast, Evans turned in a time of 2:22.04 to eke out the victory over Loughborough’s Lilly Booker. Booker settled for silver just .02 back in 2:22.06.
Booker has been as quick as 2:21.57 in her career while Evans’ result tonight represents a lifetime best. She hacked over a second off her previous PB of 2:23.29 to become GBR’s 12th-best performer in history.
Remarkable swim from Blocksidge again, she was 1.5 seconds back with 50m left to go but that last 50 was incredible – she split 29.42 to snatch the victory by 0.17.
Dean Fearn (2008) added a 50bk junior record (24.8) to the 50fl junior record (24.0) he set yesterday. Nikolai Sisnett (2010) is also worth noting – He swam 26.2 twice in the 50bk, heats and finals. A remarkable time at his age. I believe he is dual qualified (GBR & Barbados).