Oliver Morgan Takes Down Liam Tancock’s Supersuited 100 Back British Record (Video)

2024 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (OLYMPIC TRIALS)

• Tuesday, April 2nd – Sunday, April 7th
• Prelims at 10 am local (5 am EDT), Finals at 7 pm local (2 pm EDT)
• London Aquatics Centre
• LCM (50m)
• British Swimming Olympic Selection Policy
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entries
• Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
• Results
• Livestream: Channel 4 Youtube coverage

20-year-old Oliver Morgan continued his ‘hitting a personal best every time I swim’ era tonight in London.

Racing in the final of the men’s 100m backstroke, the Birmingham Uni star crushed a new career-quickest time of 52.70 to take the gold and establish a new British national record.

His time erased the longstanding supersuited mark of 52.73 Liam Tancock put on the books at the 2009 World Championships.

Morgan has been building into this performance over the past year, although this morning’s prelims-leading 52.87 marked his first-ever foray under the 53-second barrier. Entering these championships, Morgan’s personal best rested at the 53.26 produced at the 2023 World Championships.

His 52.87 morning effort rendered him Great Britain’s #2 performer, but now his 52.70 puts him ahead of the rest and into the history books as the fastest Brit ever.

Top 5 British Men’s LCM 100 Backstroke Performers All-Time

1. Oliver Morgan – 52.70, 2024
2. Liam Tancock – 52.73, 2009
3. Christopher Walker-Hebborn – 52.88, 2015
4. Jonny Marshall – 53.03, 2024
5. Luke Greenbank – 53.34, 2021

Morgan’s time easily cleared the Aquatics GB-mandated selection standard of 53.68 needed to add his name to the Olympic Games roster.

Runner-up status tonight went to Jonny Marshall. The Florida Gator who represents Carnegie on home soil produced a huge PB of his own, checking in with 53.03 for silver. That crushed the 53.47 he logged this morning behind Morgan and also easily cleared the QT. Side note, he donned a Gators cap tonight.

Rounding out the podium was Luke Greenbank who touched in 53.82.

Also impressive was 18-year-old Scottish swimmer Matthew Ward who took 4th place. Ward’s time of 54.10 lowered his own newly minted British Age Record.

In addition to Morgan’s new record standing out as an accomplishment on its own, it’s especially promising for the British men’s medley relay. The opening backstroke leg has been a point of weakness for the nation. However, both Morgan’s and Marshall’s time, paired with Adam Peaty‘s 57.94 head-turning 100m breast performance, bodes well for what the squad can do this summer.