British Championships, Day 3 Men’s Finals: Matt Richards Defends 100 Free Title As 17-Year-Old Jacob Mills Makes Singapore Cut
Matt Richards defended his 100 free title at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships where he made the cut for the two-length event in Singapore along with 17-year-old Jacob Mills.
Ollie Morgan didn’t so much break his British 100 back record as demolish it as he stopped the clock at 52.12 to book his ticket to the World Championships with ease. Read more here
The meet doubles as trials for the World Championships which run from 27 July to 3 August in Singapore where selection will be based on performances at the Paris Olympics and the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in London.
Relay medallists will be selected subject to confirmation by the Great Britain head coach, Steve Tigg. The men’s 4×2 free quartet claimed an historic gold as they defended their title from Tokyo with Tom Dean and Guy joining Richards and Scott.
Scott also qualified for the 200 fly on Wednesday night although it’s very unlikely compete in that event in Singapore while Max Litchfield booked a spot in the 400IM.
While swimmers who won a medal in an individual event at Paris 2024 will be selected to the Great Britain team for that event in Singapore, no British women reached the podium in the French capital.
To qualify for worlds, a swimmer must finish first in an Olympic event and record a time that equals or betters those in the table below.
- Start Lists/Results
- Selection Policy
- Preview: Angharad Evans
- Preview: Ollie Morgan
- Aquatics GB YouTube Channel
- BBC Sport website/iPlayer
- Day 1 Prelims Report
- Day 1 Men’s Final
- Day 1 Women’s Finals
- Day 2 Prelims Report
- Day 2 Women’s Finals
- Day 2 Men’s Finals
- Day 3 Prelims Report
Men’s 1500 Free: QT, 14:54.29
Reece Grady pulled away on the final 150m to claim the title in 15:21.54 ahead of Alex Sergeant (15:25.47) and Luke Hornsey (15:26.14). “It’s great,” said Grady in a poolside interview. “I’d have like to have been faster but I got my first British title there.” The trio were awarded their medals by Dan Jervis who dominated distance swimming in Britain for many years.
Men’s 100 Free: QT, 48.06
Richards led the way into the final after posting 48.07 in prelims as 1.08 separated the top eight. Jacob Mills – 2024 European juniors relay medallist – was alongside the Welshman after going 48.11 followed by Alex Cohoon (48.23), Jacob Whittle (48.55), Tom Dean (48.63) and Jack McMillan (48.83). Double Olympic champion Richards predicted a “proper showdown” and so it proved to be. Richards was first to the turn in 22.86 ahead of Alexander Painter (22.96), Cohoon (23.03) and Mills (23.16). Richards came back in 25.06 to stop the clock in 47.92 with a 24.87 second 50 propelling Mills to second in 48.03 as he went 0.03 inside the cut. Tom Dean – Olympic 200 champion in Tokyo – came through for third in 48.40 with Jacob Whittle next home in 48.45 as the quartet secured a relay spot in Singapore.
“Really good,” said Richards. “Very happy with that. It’s always tough in these British finals, especially that 100 free where it’s the first one of the week. It is always such a cagey race, you never really know who is going what, you never know how anyone is going to swim it. It is almost a more challenging race to tactically get right on a world level because you know these guys so well and so you almost expect certain things from them and if you don’t see it, you kind of overthink during the race if that makes sense. So I am really pleased with that: to get another 47 under the belt, I can’t complain with that at all. I’ve booked that spot for the individual in Singapore – really good.”
Mills said: “I still can’t believe it now. I’m absolutely over the moon so really happy with it.”
Para Swimming
Mark Tompsett twice lowered the S14 European record in the multi-classification 100m backstroke. The Paris bronze medallist went 58.28 in the final to slice half a second from his prelim swim ahead of Will Ellard (59.48) and Louis Lawlor (1:01.37). That steered Tompsett inside the requirement for the Para Swimming World Championships, also in Singapore.
“Oh I feel amazing – I did it in the morning which was a big shock as I didn’t think I could do it, but coming into the final I knew I already had the time to be in for selection on the team but to to go out and smash it again was amazing really,” said Tompsett. “My coach just said to go out with the same speed as this morning, and then to just focus the last few meters keeping the head back and stroke rate high – which I tried to do and it kind of worked so very happy. I’ll keep trying to work on that time even more and giving my competition in Singapore something to think about.”
The men’s MC 100m freestyle was another close one, as Tomas Navarro-Barber (S9) won his second British title of the meet with a well-judged swim, ahead of S10 duo Kieran Williams and Roan Brennan respectively.