Top 7 Races From 2020 BUCS Long Course Championships

2020 BUCS LONG COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 14th-16th, 2020
• Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield, England
• LCM (50m) Course
• Live results

Now that the 2020 British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Long Course Championships have concluded, let’s take reflect on the action which took place over the weekend at Ponds Forge.

Loughborough kept its overall team title-winning streak alive and also brought home the women’s trophy, while the University of Stirling powered its way to a first-ever top finish in the men’s competition.

Throughout the meet there were head-turning swims on both the men’s and women’s sides. Here are our top 7 swims from 2020 BUCS, in no particular order. Let us know in the comments if you agree.

Luke Greenbank’s 200 Backstroke Double Delight

• The World Championships bronze medalist in the men’s 200m backstroke, Luke Greenbank, proved to be a major Loughborough points contributor. The 22-year-old reaped gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke at this meet, but the longer distance was especially notable.
• Greenbank established a new BUCS Championships record with his morning swim of 1:59.46, only to drop another second off the mark to check-in with a final time of 1:58.46.
• Although his time here falls well short of the 1:55.85 he produced for bronze in Gwangju, his outing is merely a stepping stone on the way to the Olympic Trials (British Swimming Championships) set for April.

Jay Lelliott Busts 12-Year-Old BUCS Record

• Sheffield Hallam swimmer Jay Lelliott made his presence known at the 2020 BUCS by way of his massive victory in the men’s 800m free. Not only did he beat the field by over 11 seconds, but the time of 8:01.97 the 25-year-old crushed overtook the previous BUCS record that had been on the books for 12 years.
• Lelliott owns a lifetime best of 7:50.97 in this 800m free event, a time he produced for silver at the 2015 World University Games.
• He would go on to also take BUCS silver in the 200m fly behind winner Duncan Scott.

Cassie Went ‘Wild’ in the 100 Backstroke

• Stirling’s Cassie Wild put on a show in the women’s 100m back event, nearly clearing the minute mark with a winning effort of 1:00.08. That beat the field by over 2 seconds for a decisive victory. Wild took this same title last year in a much slower 1:01.44.
• This performance checked in as a big new personal best, overtaking the 1:00.58 the 19-year-old logged at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
• In fact, Wild’s outing here at BUCS rocketed her from slot #9 to slot #6 on the all-time British performers’ list.

Abbie Wood Became BUCS IM Queen

• Doubling up on both the 400m IM and 200m IM events, in addition to capturing the 200m free victory, Loughborough’s Abbie Wood made major waves in Sheffield over the weekend.
• Wood’s 200m IM time of 2:11.77 was an especially solid race for the International Swimming League (ISL) NY Breakers team member, with her time falling just .12 outside of her lifetime best of 2:11.65. That result was put up at the 2019 British Championships, rendering her as the 6th performer all-time.
• Her performance here, 2 months out from the British Championships, is a promising sign of things potentially to come at Olympic Trials.

Marrie Wattel’s 100 Free Scorcher

• Loughborough’s Marie Wattel took the women’s 100m free in a time of 54.09, beating the field by over half a second.
• The 54.22 she logged for gold last year at this meet represented her 2nd fastest, so this 54.09 effort slides in at that position en route to gold. It also established a new BUCS Record.
• Wattel’s personal best rests at the 53.53 she produced at a domestic meet 2 years ago.

Lucy Gives ‘Hope’ To British Relay Prospects

• Although she took silver, Edinburgh’s Lucy Hope put up a stellar 54.69 to land on the podium in 2nd place in the women’s 100m free.
• 22-year-old Hope’s previous lifetime best was the 55.09 produced at the 2017 British Championships, but this 54.09 effort now makes her the 8th fastest British performer ever.
• It also adds some power to a potential British women’s 4x100m free relay, an event that has been lacking the right combination to do any real damage in recent years.

Duncan Scott‘s 48-Mid Relay Opener

• Versatile 22-year-old Duncan Scott of the University of Stirling could have swum any number of events here at BUCS, but stuck to the 400m IM and 200m fly individual races. He would take gold in both but was also a critical component of Stirling’s relay squads.
• Stirling took gold in both the men’s 4x100m free and 4x100m medley relays, adding crucial points to their tally, which ultimately brought them to the men’s trophy.
• Scott led-off the free relay in a big-time 48.53 opener to give his relay mates about a 3-second lead.
• Splitting 23.47/25.06, Scott’s time checks him in as the 13th fastest performer in the world this season and the #2 swimmer just taking into account 2020 results.