Angharad Evans & Abbie Wood Shine On Day Two Of BUCS Championships
Angharad Evans posted a winning 100m breaststroke time that only she has bettered among British swimmers on day two of the BUCS Championships in Sheffield.
Out in 31.21 and back in 34.81, the Stirling swimmer stopped the clock at 1:06.02 for the fifth-fastest time of her career, topped by her British record of 1:05.54 set at the AP Race London meet in May 2024.
Only Evans – who was sixth on her Olympic debut in Paris – has gone faster in domestic waters with Molly Renshaw the next swiftest with her former national standard of 1:06.21, now the sixth in the all-time British rankings.
Victory saw Evans complete the 50/100br double after victory in the one-length race on Friday when she also split 1:05.49 – the second-fastest by a Briton all-time – as Stirling finished second in the mixed medley relay.
Anna Morgan of Edinburgh Napier and Loughborough’s Sienna Robinson shared second in 1:08.46.
The three-day BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) meet at Ponds Forge features many top swimmers who’ve made the trip to Olympic and world podiums. Freya Anderson, Luke Greenbank, Jacob Whittle and Jacob Peters all topped their respective prelims but as guest swimmers didn’t progress to finals.
Guest swimmers can however compete in events where there are heat declared winners.
Wood In Fine Form
Abbie Wood: Photo Courtesy: Morgan Harlow, Aquatics GB
Abbie Wood posted the third-fastest 400IM of her career in a thriller over eight lengths in the fastest heat. Wood and Katie Shanahan turned in an identical time at the 250 before the former pulled away to touch in 4:38.24 for victory by more than 3secs over the Stirling swimmer who posted 4:41.40. Freya Colbert – fourth at the Paris Olympics – was third in 4:43.13.
Wood’s winning time was a second off her PB of 4:37.25 from the 2017 British Championships and 0.04 outside her second-best performance of 4:38.20 set at the Glasgow Open Meet in June 2021.
Wood – bronze medallist at the short-course worlds in December – had posted the fastest 200IM prelim on Friday but couldn’t progress to the final as a guest swimmer.
Max Litchfield completed the medley double by heading the fastest heat in the 400IM. The 29-year-old – fourth at three straight Olympics – led from the start before extending his advantage on the freestyle leg to win in 4:19.27, almost five seconds ahead of Charlie Hutchison who made it a Loughborough 1-2 in 4:24.25. George Smith of Stirling was third in 4:25.64.
Ollie Morgan came within 0.01 of his British 100 back record as he scorched to 52.71 on Friday. The University of Birmingham swimmer returned for the 200 where he enjoyed a clear victory as the only man inside 2mins in 1:57.38. Hendrik van der Leest (Bath) added silver to his 100 bronze in 2:00.65 with Charlie Hutchison claiming his second medal of the session in 2:02.35.
Holly McGill was 0.23 adrift of Shanahan at halfway in the women’s 200 back, a deficit she turned into a 0.14 advantage at the final turn before she came home in 2:09.53. Shanahan won her second silver of the day in 2:09.78 for a Stirling 1-2 with Honey Osrin of Loughborough third in 2:10.20.
Wiffen & Crisp Complete Distance Doubles
Daniel Wiffen completed the distance double as he dominated the fastest heat of the 800 free in 7:52.52. The Olympic champion enjoyed a winning margin of more than 9secs ahead of Tyler Melbourne-Smith (8:01.69) and Harry Wynne-Jones (8:08.29) to make it a Loughborough clean sweep of the podium.
Leah Crisp added the women’s 800 title to the 1500 she won on Friday. Crisp, who finished 20th in the 10k at Paris 2024, overhauled leader Michaella Glenister at the 300m mark and extended her lead throughout to win in 8:44.29. Glenister (Stirling) upgraded 1500 bronze to silver in 8:50.13 despite the fast finish of Fleur Lewis of Loughborough who touched in 8:50.24.
Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
Alex Cohoon – who made his Olympic debut in Paris – led throughout to win the 100 free in 49.76 ahead of Ed Mildred (49.98) with Jordan Cooley third in 50.04.
Evie Davis of Stirling won the women’s 100 free as she overturned a 0.19 deficit at halfway to win in 55.63 ahead of Kornelia Fiedkiewicz of Loughborough (55.97) and Bath’s Jemima Hall (56.06).
Greg Butler of Loughborough upgraded 50br silver to gold over 100m in 1:00.26 ahead of Edinburgh’s Archie Goodburn (1:00.66) and Panayiotis Panaretos (1:02.57) of Swansea.
Just 0.13 separated the first three women in the 50 fly with Keanna Macinnes getting the touch in 26.85, 0.08 ahead of Ciara Schlosshan of Edinburgh (26.93) with Lucy Grieve making it a Stirling 1-3 in 26.98.
The men’s equivalent saw Josh Gammon enjoy a clear win, the Bath swimmer the only man inside 24secs in 23.72 with Xi Gong of Loughborough and Stirling’s Brogan Hyde following him home in 24.28 and 24.37 respectively.
Freya Colbert dropped an anchor leg of 53.96 to propel Loughborough to victory in the women’s 4×1 free in 3:43.32.
Alexander Cohoon won his second gold of the day when he anchored Loughborough to victory in the men’s 4×100 free in 3:20.20.