Angharad Evans Rattles British Record & Goes Top of Rankings in Edinburgh
Angharad Evans rattled her British 100m breaststroke record and went top of the world rankings on day one of the Edinburgh International.
The 2025 European short-course medallist posted a sizzling 1:05.46 for a clear victory over Kara Hanlon (1:07.60) and Anna Morgan (1:07.65).
Ben Higson & Angharad Evans: Photo Courtesy: Scottish Swimming
Evans’ time was just 0.09 off her national standard of 1:05.37 set at last year’s British Championships. It ranks second in her career and was her sixth journey inside the 1:06 barrier as she dislodged Kate Douglass and her 1:06.41 at the top of the world rankings with trials season on the horizon.
“This season has been about learning again,” she said through Scottish Swimming. “I think I say this every year. I come back and I’m like, I’ve learned something new, but when I think I know it all, there’s something else that I learn. And the past few months of training, I’ve almost unlocked a new pain threshold. The training’s been so hard, and the focus has been on that back end 50.
“After this morning, I had big confidence going into tonight because I got the fastest back 50 I’ve ever done. So I knew a 1:05 was on the cards tonight, but to be only 9 100s out from my British record a few weeks before Trials gives me a lot of confidence going into London next month.
“When I got pre-selected (for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2026) I thought I would feel as much pressure, but I’ve just proven to myself that I will always put pressure on myself. I have such high standards in myself. And I put the pressure on myself to swim fast and that’s what works for me.”
Evans has trained at the University of Stirling since getting back into the water following her return from a spell at Georgia State where she’s guided by Ben Higson and Brad Hay.
“I count myself as a very fortunate person to have not one, but two coaches I got on really well with. And I 100% trust my training. And they (Ben Higson and Brad Hay) complement each other so well. They are such knowledgeable coaches and coming from someone that took a few years out of the sport, and coming back in, their knowledge is, I guess, feeding into me. And it’s given me more confidence in my swimming when I see them believe in me.”
Matt Richards Comes Through in 200 Free Thriller; Wins For Scott & Colbert
The men’s 200 free in Britain has huge depth and in Edinburgh it featured Matt Richards, Jack McMillan, James Guy and Tom Dean who share nine Olympic titles between them.
Guy led at halfway, 0.33 ahead of Richards with McMillan a further 0.25 back. It changed on the penultimate 50 where McMillan went to the head of the field ahead of Richards and Guy with the trio separated by 0.19.
Matt Richards: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
A final-50 blast of 27.32 steered Richards past McMillan and into the wall in 1:46.81 with the University of Stirling swimmer second in 1:46.90 and Guy third in 1:48.05.
Dean, now at the University of Stirling following a switch from Bath, was eighth in 1:50.41, apparently still feeling the effects of his recent trip to altitude.
“The 200 free as an event keeps pushing on that’s the beauty of it,” said Richards. “I think in the UK we just continue to keep driving the needle and every year we seem to keep getting better and better.”
Duncan Scott is an eight-time Olympic medallist of which two silver came in the 200IM in Paris and Tokyo.
He was the only man to break 2mins in the Scottish capital, touching in 1:58.79 ahead of Matthew Ward who was second in 2:02.48 and Edward Whittles who was third in 2:03.67.
Oli Morgan won the men’s 100 back in 53.14 with Lauren Cox taking the women’s crown in 1:00.49.
World and European junior champion Filip Nowacki led throughout in the 200m breaststroke to take the title in 2:10.05 and Josh Gammon took the 50 fly in 23.49.
Theodora Taylor was the only woman to break 25 in the 50 free, clocking 24.93, Keanna MacInnes showcased her strength on the back end of the 200 fly, touching in 2:08.36 while Freya Colbert enjoyed a winning margin of almost six seconds in the 400 free in 4:06.16.