British Championships, Day 4 Women’s Finals: Katie Shanahan Books Singapore Ticket With 200 Back Victory
Olympic finalist Katie Shanahan booked a trip to Singapore after victory in the 200 back at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in London.
While Shanahan punched her ticket, second-placed Holly McGill was also inside the cut and is all but on the plane for the World Championships with her consideration time.
Eva Okaro won her second title in as many days with victory in the 50 fly while Megan Barnes won the 400 free after a final-50 duel with Amelie Blocksidge.
The meet at the London Aquatic Centre doubles as trials for the World Championships which run from 27 July to 3 August. Freya Colbert (200 free), Angharad Evans (200 breast), Okaro (50 free), Abbie Wood (4IM) and Keanna MacInnes (200 fly) have all qualified while Colbert also took second inside the cut in the 400IM. On Friday Shanahan added her name to the list with McGill also posting the consideration time.
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. Athletes that finish second in a time equal or better than that in the table will be considered for selection to a team that will have a maximum of 30 athletes.
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- Ollie Morgan Demolishes British 100 Back Record In 52.12
- Day 3 Women’s Finals
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- Day 4 Prelims Report
Women’s 50 Fly
Okaro won her second title of the meet in London as she touched in 26.19, a British 18-years age group record. Stephens was second in 26.62 with Kate Clifton and Ciara Schlosshan sharing third in 26.68, the latter setting a Scottish record.
Women’s 400 Free: QT, 4:04.98
A thrilling race where the lead changed hands saw Megan Barnes prevail in 4:12.66 following a stroke-for-stroke battle down the final 50 with Amelie Blocksidge. Blocksidge added 400 silver to her 1500 title in 4:12.78 with Hollie Wilson third in 4:13.60.
Women’s 200 Back: QT, 2:08.68
It was a field of some depth and quality including two Olympic finalists with Shanahan and Honey Osrin having finished fifth and seventh respectively at Paris 2024. Osrin went out fast and led at halfway, 0.18 ahead of Shanahan with Holly McGill – the fastest qualifier for the final – a further 0.48 adrift. A third 50 of 32.70 propelled Shanahan to the head of the field before she came home in 2:07.91 with McGill also inside the cut in 2:08.20 and Osrin third in 2:10.60. Victory also saw Shanahan clinch the 100/200 back double.
Was it a relief to have navigated the race given the depth and what was at stake? “100 per cent,” Shanahan told Swimming World. “I knew coming into tonight it was going to be a really tough race with the girls, there’s a lot of depth in that event. To get my hand on the wall first is always really nice.”
It was a race for experience and process. “Definitely. I think after doing that event at pretty much every international level now, it does help in racing. You know, the likes of the Australian girls, it’s really good to have that under my belt.”
Para Swimming
The new honours board that has been installed at the London Aquatics Centre will need updating with Faye Rogers’ name once again, after the University of Aberdeen competitor clocked a British record for the S10 classification in a tight women’s MC 400m freestyle, clinching another British gold and a World Championship selection mark in the process.
Her time of 4:34.24 came after a strong heat swim, which she said helped her get perfectly into the zone as she prepared for the final – before going on to earn 892 points for the victory, ahead of Brock Whiston (828) in silver and young S9 athlete Brooklyn Hale (751) in bronze.
“I was super happy after the heat because to be honest it didn’t feel great, but the time was right on my PB so that gave me a lot of confidence going in tonight,” said Rogers. “In the call room there I was really hyped up, and all the girls in there were like ‘wow you’re really in the zone’ so I was really ready for it which gave me a lot of confidence because that’s not something you can kind of force but I felt really up for it.
“Then I just went in and swam it, and I knew I wasn’t really going to be able to see anyone so it gave me the opportunity to execute my own race plan which obviously paid off and I’m super happy to get that consideration time – my first ever outside of the 100m butterfly, which is cool – and it takes the pressure off my upcoming swims which I’m so excited for.”
Young Paralympic medallist Iona Winnifrith took gold in the multi-classification 50 fly as the sole swimmer in the race.