Olympic Finalist Abbie Wood Absent From 200 IM Entries For Fukuoka

2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The initial entries per event are now available for the 2023 World Championships so we’re getting a glimpse into the likely lineups ready to take to the Fukuoka pool.

Among the British contingent, Olympian Abbie Wood‘s schedule includes just one individual event which is the women’s 200m freestyle. That’s a deviation from her typical program which in the past has also included the 200m IM, the event in which she placed fourth at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

At the British Swimming Championships (World Trials) meet this past April, Loughborough’s Wood reaped second place in the 200m free, with her new lifetime best of 1:57.51 finishing behind winner Freya Anderson who clocked a monster PB of 1:55.86.

As for the 200m IM, Wood also finished as the runner-up, hitting 2:09.46 to touch the wall only .06 behind winner Katie Shanahan who posted 2:09.40 for the gold. Wood’s result represented the 5th-swiftest outing of her career while Shanahan’s time marked her first-every foray under 2:11.

For reference, Wood’s 2IM time dipped under both the British Swimming Qualification Time and also the Consideration Standard.

The top 25 women 200m freestylers in the world right now are all under the 1:57 barrier which means Wood has her work cut out for her if she were to make a run at even making the final, let alone challenging for a medal.

Compare that to the 200m IM where Wood’s aforementioned time of 2:09.46 ranks her 13th in the world on the season.

Despite Wood’s solid performances at the British Championships, on the whole she’s still trying to come back to form from earlier in her career.

As a star on the International Swimming League’s (ISL) New York Breakers, in post-Tokyo 2020 Wood fired off a new British Record in the short course 200m IM (2:04.77). In season 3, Wood placed 32nd in the overall MVP standings as far and away the top overall performer from her squad.

Flash forward to the 2021 Short Course World Championships, however, and Wood’s trajectory was derailed with glandular fever, also known as mononucleosis (“mono”). She withdrew from the Abu Dhabi competition where she was a bona fide medal contender in the 200m breast and all three IM contests.

At last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Wood finished 12th in the 200m IM in a time of 2:11.31 and 8th in the 200m breast in 2:24.46.

She did bounce back to medal individually at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, taking the bronze in the 200m IM in a mark of 2:10.68.

We’ve reached out to Wood to find out more about her 200m IM absence.

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MastersSwimmer
1 year ago

Other countries seem to manage relays AND individual performances…. GB are putting a little too much emphasis on relays… no Wood in 2IM or 2BR, no Wilby in 2Br, no Anderson in 100 free
At least Freya Colbert and Katie Shanahan are getting stuck in to individual events and Tom Dean has a customarily full programme but even Duncan Scott’s programme is slimmed right back. Some athletes in danger of appearing like swimming divas….
(And no swimmers at all in too many events…including no Clark in 50 Br.)

Troyy
Reply to  MastersSwimmer
1 year ago

Scott missed the team in the 200 free and the 100 free clashes with the 200 IM so the slimming of his programme probably wasn’t intentional.

MastersSwimmer
Reply to  Troyy
1 year ago

yeah- that’s why I listed him separately

MastersSwimmer
Reply to  MastersSwimmer
1 year ago

It’s starting to look like some can’t be bothered to get out of bed for the worlds and are only prepared to peak once every 4 years for the big O.
And Team GB doesn’t think it’s worth swimming if you’re not going to get in a semi/final. Personally, I think we should be sending swimmers who qualify, in as many events as possible- racing and race experience to move forward our weaker events… Instead of saying, oh we’re not going to win so we’re not playing.

Last edited 1 year ago by MastersSwimmer
Swammer
1 year ago

Seems like British swimming are running her career, seems mad when she would surely have made the final and then who knows what would happen

Tracy Kosinski
1 year ago

Interesting. I would have thought she’d concentrate on the 2IM since she is a breaststroker and the 2FR field is crazy fast.

Alison England
1 year ago

I think we (GBR) should do well in the 4×2 free relay.

Ceccon - Kamminga - Milak - Popovici
Reply to  Alison England
1 year ago

Yeah seems like GBR is focusing on getting relays to qualify for Olympics.

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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