Shake-Up On British World Class Program Roster Leaves Out Several Veterans

British Swimming just released the roster of 48 athletes selected for its World Class Program (WCP) for the 2019/20 season. Per British Swimming, an extremely thorough selection process was implemented, analyzing athletes’ past and current performances and a robust assessment of their ability to win medals at both this and future Olympiads.
The athletes on the list appearing at the bottom of this post are designated as ‘Podium’ or ‘Podium Potential’, receiving program opportunities and targeted financial assistance from UK Sport through the World Class Performance Program’s Athlete Performance Award.

The athletes are also eligible to receive training camp and competition opportunities, as well as access to world-class sport science and medicine services, as well as comprehensive support from British Swimming performance staff and national institute of sport programs across the UK.

This newly-released roster for the 2019/20 season sees a 6-person reduction in the 54-strong lineup that comprised British Swimming World Class Performance Program for the previous 2018/19 season. Comparing the rosters, several notable names were dropped from funding, while an influx of young talent born from the European Junior Championships, World Junor Championships and European Youth Olympic Festival migrated onto the list.

Some of the names missing from 2018/19 to this new roster include Charlotte Atkinson, Craig Benson, Imogen Clark, Sarah Vasey, Kathryn Greenslade, Jarvis Parkinson, Stephen Milne, and Abbie Wood, among others.

Clark set the British National Record in the 50m breast at the 2018 European Championships, while Vasey earned silver in the same event at the World University Games this summer.

Repeat non-funded athletes include Olympians Aimee Willmott and Hannah Miley. Willmott took 400m IM gold at the Commonwealth Games last year but swam the 2018/19 season largely unfunded. Miley, who underwent ankle surgery in late 2018, was in the same boat.

As for the fresh blood that’s been infused into the program for 2019/20, the likes of Scott McLay, Laura Stephens, Katie Shanahan, Matt Richards, Jacob Whittle, Tamryn Van Selm, Edward Mildred, Archie Goodburn, Michaella Glenister, David Cumberlidge and Kayla Van Der Merwe are among the new names.

Mainstay mega-weapons Adam Peaty, Duncan Scott, James Guy, Max Litchfield, Freya Anderson and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor retain their funding, as expected.
Of the 2019/2020 group, British Swimming National Performance Director, Chris Spice, said, “The programme has enjoyed another strong year, culminating with our swimmers winning seven medals at the World Championships in Gwangju, three of which were gold. Our junior swimmers also continued to impress against the best in the world and a number of those involved in strong performances across the European and World Junior Championships have been rewarded with a place on the World Class programme for the next 12 months.

“Today marks 304 days to go before we hear the starting gun in Tokyo, so the excitement is growing as we head into another Olympic season. The WCP is not an end in itself and we know we must improve from where we were at the World Championships in Gwangju if we want to meet all our targets for next year. For some of the younger athletes, they will be on a longer journey toward Paris and we look forward to working with them and developing them to be the best they can be over the coming years.”

Full list of World Class Swimming Programme athletes: