2023 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, April 4th – Sunday, April 9th
- Ponds Forge, Sheffield
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships Qualifier
- World Championships Selection Criteria
- Draft Entries
The 2023 British Swimming Championships are on the horizon, with the action kicking off from Ponds Forge on Tuesday, April 4th.
The initial draft entries have been published which means we have a glimpse into the lineups key swimmers will most likely be taking on over the course of the six-day competition.
As a refresher, these Championships represent the sole qualifying opportunity British swimmers have to etch their names onto the nation’s roster for this summer’s World Championships. We reported how British Swimming has set very stiff times for its automatic consideration standards, with several even sitting inside the current national records.
British World Championships Qualification Times Are Faster Than National Records
We noted in our QT post that, as in the past, the British Swimming brain trust can still select swimmers for the Fukuoka roster at their own discretion.
Closer to the start of the meet we’ll present the top races to watch, as well as all the links you’ll need to follow along. In the meantime, below are the draft entries for high-profile contenders on the men’s side.
- Unfortunately for British swimming fans, the men’s side continues to have a 400m IM problem. The top-seeded swimmer William Ryley carries the fastest entry time of 4:19.46, a mark which would have placed just 17th at the 2022 World Championships. Brodie Williams owns a lifetime best of 4:12.95 while Duncan Scott owns the national record with his PB of 4:09.18. Alas, neither athlete is listed on the 4IM entries while Olympic finalist Max Litchfield remains M.I.A. when it comes to domestic racing. Behind Ryley, Mark Szaranek does carry some hope, but the former Florida Gator’s best time of 4:13.72 is from 2018 and his fastest in recent years has been 4:19.62 placing him 8th at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
- The men’s 200m free continues to be GBR’s most crowded event, led by the 1-2 Olympic podium punch of Tom Dean and Duncan Scott. If both are on-form, then they are the ones to beat, while the remaining competitors will be vying for relay spots. Among them is Welsh star Matt Richards who has been coming on strong since moving to Millfield. The Olympic relay champion posted multiple short course best times last year and most recently put up a 200m free time of 1:47.04 at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale. James Guy, Jacob Whittle, Joe Litchfield and Ed Mildred are just a few of the entrants who will be gunning for at least a spot on the coveted relay.
- Speaking of Guy, the 27-year-old Olympic medalist is narrowing his focus to just the 100m fly and 200m free for these British Championships. Some might forget that the Bath athlete was once a formidable 400m freestyler, taking silver in the event at the 2015 World Championships. Guy has also proven his mettle in the 200m fly event, with his PB of 1:54.92 ranking him GBR’s 2nd-best performer all-time. However, Guy is sticking to what’s been most productive for him over the last couple of years. He’s been an integral component of the nation’s 800m free relay and medley relays since 2017 and taking on just 2 individual events here will most likely work in his favor.
- Dean and Scott have mirrored one another in terms of events for the British Championships, with each taking on the 100m free, 200m free and 200m IM races. Although Lewis Burras enters the 100m free with a top-seeded effort of 47.63, Dean has been as quick as 47.83 and Scott as swift as 47.87. The race will surely come down to the wire among this trio, while Litchfield, Ingram, Richards, Whittle and more will try to make their big move. The 200m IM appears to be a battle between Scott & Dean again, but each will need to get under the stiff 1:56.22 British Swimming QT to automatically secure their position.
Jonathon Adam – 50m/100m back
William Bell – 200m/400m/800m free
Kieran Bird – 100m/200m/400m free
Lewis Burras – 50m/100m free
Tom Dean – 100m/200m free, 200m IM
James Guy – 100m fly, 200m free
Daniel Jervis – 800m/1500m free
Luke Greenbank – 100m/200m back
Jamie Ingram – 50m/100m free, 50m/100m fly
Joe Litchfield – 100m back, 100m/200m free, 200m IM
Jonathon Marshall – 50m/100m/200m back, 50m/100m fly
Ed Mildred – 100m/200m free, 100m fly
Hector Pardoe – 400m/800m/1500m free
Adam Peaty – 50m /100m breast
Jacob Peters – 50m/100m fly
Ben Proud – 50m free, 50m fly
Matt Richards – 50m/100m/200m free
Duncan Scott – 100m/200m free, 200m IM
Mark Szaranek – 200m/400m IM, 200m free
Luke Turley – 200m/400m/800m free
Jacob Whittle – 50m/100m/200m free
James Wilby – 50m/100m/200m breast
Brodie Williams – 100m/200m back
Everyone seems set for a full taper so I think we’re in for a pretty quick Championships
Matt Richards is my one to watch for this meet, he’s historically dropped a lot from taper so with 48.4 and 1:47 behind him I’m very excited to see how he’ll go now he’s got himself a solid training base.
Glad Dean is still sticking with the 2IM, if he sorts out his Backstroke he will be genuinely World class there, it’ll also be his first chance to respond to Popovici’s assault on the event he’s Olympic champion in, not saying he’ll be 1:42 but that should be his mentality.
Duncan Scott going back to the 1/2 Free makes his 400IM +… Read more »
Richards should cause a big upset in the Free events. We may see one of Dean or Scott lose out, on recent form Scott looks the likely victim.
Jack McMillan has a good chance of a relay spot in the 4×200. It would be his first GB team having previously represented Ireland. All four home nations could be in the 4×200 squad.
He will be an interesting one. In Ireland he would swim fast all year round, so far his SB is 1’47.8. He is obviously in a new environment, so much can change. If he drops the way we have seen Duncan and some others do from Stirling, at the very least he should be in or around his Personal Best.
Does this mean he’s dropped the 400IM from his schedule? Wise decision if so imo because his best hope in that is a Bronze behind Marchand and Foster but that’s assuming Borodin won’t be allowed to compete, and the likes of Clareburt have just been getting faster. 400IM also clashes with the 200 Free at the Olympics, probs best to drop it and focus on 2free, 2IM and getting a finals spot in that 4×1 free relay.
The 400IM final clashes with the 200 free semi and the final is first. The 200 final doesn’t clash. So it’s doable if he really wanted it but I’m not sure he does.
McIntosh is potentially doing five events and most people on here seem to think the 400IM/200 free double is no big deal for her
The 400IM/200 free double is less of a big deal for McIntosh because they’re at opposite ends of the session.
Men’s 200 Free Semi is pretty much straight after the 4IM final while the Women’s 200 free and 400Im are on opposite sides of that session.
McIntosh is 16, Scott is 25. There’s a lot more metres in his body.
Nice to see him in the 100. He could be a 47 low in that by Paris if he swims it
GBR are well and truly overdue to finally get their act together with the M4X100. On paper, only USA & maybe ITA have stronger ‘hands’ to play. Qualification for that final, however, is almost always cut-throat and they cannot afford to be too cute with heat line-up selections.
Idk about a 47 low, right now he’s on the outside looking in when it comes to even a finals spot in the relay, with Burras, Dean, Richards and Whittle ahead of him. Most vulnerable right now is Whittle but considering his age you must think he’s going to have a breakthrough soon.
He beat Whittle, Burras + Richards convincingly at CG having swum more events at that point in the meet and been out with covid. But sure, he’s looking in on them.
That was their second (or in the case of Whittle Third) Major Champs that year. Richards has also clearly shown a big improvement since then and after Burras’ British record last year, yes, he is on the outside looking in right now, again with Whittle perhaps the most vulnerable.
Barring illness which seems to have plagued him, I can’t see him staying on the ‘outside’ as you claim. But, we will see I guess.
For a Country with such a proud breastroking tradition, you can’t help but notice the lack of depth or obvious natural successor after Peaty (28) and Wilby (29) in what will likely be their last ever World Champs. Could cause some medley relay headaches also in a couple of years time.