GBR’s Richards Replaces Scott In Men’s 200 Free In Budapest

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
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With the full day-by-day start lists now posted to the Omega Timing site, we have a better idea of which events each world-class swimmer will contest at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships this week.

Regarding Great Britain specifically, we already knew that versatile Duncan Scott withdrew from the entire competition due to COVID-19 complications. However, we now know the ripple effect of his removal.

In the 200m free, for example, the event in which Scott won Olympic silver, British teammate Matt Richards‘ name now appears in his place.

The 19-year-old has been slotted in heat 5 of 7, owning an entry time of 1:45.77. That mark was produced at the 2021 British Selection Trials.

More recently, at this year’s British Swimming Championships in April, Richards hit a time of 1:48.67 to place 7th in the final there in Sheffield.

Already owning the top seed is the reigning Olympic champion in the event Tom Dean, who clocked a time of 1:44.22 en route to winning gold in Tokyo while punching a new British national record in the process.

This year, Dean put up a time of 1:45.73 to finish 2nd to Scott at the British Championships, with the Scot posting a time of 1:45.54 in Sheffield at that April meet.

Richards is GBR’s 4th fastest performer of all time in the 200m free, owning a lifetime best of 1:45.77 from the 2021 British Championships. Just months later in Tokyo, the Welshman helped GBR win men’s 4x200m freestyle relay gold with a split of 1:45.01 in Tokyo.