Who’s Training Whom in Loughborough National Title Onslaught?

2017 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 18th – Sunday, April 23rd
• Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield
• LCM
• Qualifying Times Analysis (for this meet)
• Qualifying Times Analysis (for 2017 World Championships GBR squad)
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream
• Live Results

While elite swimmers in Great Britain have been more dispersed than ever over the last quad, with high-level training environments growing from different pockets around the country, this week in Sheffield, Loughborough has re-established itself as the epicenter of British Swimming.

Through 2 days of swimming, athletes representing Loughborough have already won 6 events, including all 4 breaststrokes raced so far. Some were expected, including Adam Peaty in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes, who recently moved there to train with his coach Mel Marshall at the National Center based out of the school. Others were less so – Jocelyn Ulyett, for example, who on Wednesday shocked a nation by dropping 5 seconds in the 200 breaststroke to qualify for the World Championships and break the British Record.

While the group has benefited from the addition of the three-time reigning British Coach of the Year Marshall to their staff after Rio, the resurgence and emergence of new talent has been a group effort.

In total, there are 5 different groups centered in 3 different subsets – 2 group affiliated with the Loughborough University team, 2 groups with the British Swimming National Centre, and 1 group based under James Gibson in Turkey. Stunningly, each of those 5 groups has a swimmer that’s won a national title this week.

There is even crossover within those groups. Some of the National Centre athletes are students, while some are full-time athletes; and some of the university-affiliated swimmers are actually alumni.

The structure is a bit complex and hard to follow, but ultimately, the magic potion, combined with natural cross-pollination and the elite atmosphere created training out of a single facility is working.

Below is a breakdown of who is training with whom.As an example of just how much of a group effort it’s been, the women’s 200 breaststroke saw 8 swimmers in the final. Ulyett and 8th-place finisher Megan Morrison both train under Ian Hulme at the Uni team; while runner-up Molly Renshaw and 5th-place finisher Abbie Wood train under David Hemmings in the National Centre.

Loughborough event winners, through Wednesday, and their coaches and affiliations are listed below. The full trials rosters of each training group is below that. In addition, Steve Bayley serves as lead coach and programme manager for the whole of the university side of the program.

• Adam Peaty, 50 & 100 breaststroke – Mel Marshall, National Centre
• Jocelyn Ulyett, 200 breaststroke, British Record – Ian Hulme, University Squad
• Imogen Clark, 50 breaststroke, British Record – Mel Marshall, National Centre
• Charlotte Atkinson, 50 fly – Andi Manley, University Squad
• Georgia Davies, 100 back, only swimmer sub-minute – James Gibson, Turkey

Full Loughborough Squads at Trials, by Coach