British Championships, Day 5 Prelims: Ben Proud Launches 50 Free Campaign As Jacob Mills, 17, Posts 21.9 Top Time
Olympic silver medallist Ben Proud got his world trials programme underway in the 50 free prelims on the penultimate day of competition at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships.
The 30-year-old made history at Paris 2024 when he became the first British man to claim a medal in the one-length event with silver behind Cam McEvoy of Australia and one place ahead of Florent Manaudou.
He went in the final prelim where he clocked 22.06 with 17-year-old Jacob Mills the only man inside 22secs in 21.96. Greg Butler led the way in the 200m breaststroke.
Abbie Wood and Katie Shanahan booked the centre lanes for the women’s 200IM while Keanna MacInnes headed the 100 fly.
The meet doubles as trials for the World Championships which run in Singapore from 27 July to 3 August. Swimmers who won a medal in an individual event at Paris 2024 will be selected to the Great Britain team for this event, Proud among them with medals at the last three worlds across Budapest, Fukuoka and Doha in February last year.
- 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
- Ollie Morgan Demolishes British 100 Back Record In 52.12
- Day 3 Women’s Finals
- Day 3 Men’s Finals
- Day 4 Prelims Report
- Day 4 Men’s Finals
- Day 4 Women’s Finals
Women’s 100 Fly
Keanna MacInnes booked her place on the plane to Singapore earlier this week in the 200 fly. The Scot will be in lane four for Saturday’s 100 final after posting 58.16 ahead of University of Stirling teammate Lucy Grieve (58.34).
Men’s 200m Breaststroke
Greg Butler booked lane four in 2:13.14 with the 100 title already in the bag. Filip Nowacki will be alongside him in 2:13.76. It’s an event in which Great Britain has enjoyed success with Michael Jamieson winning Olympic silver in the very same pool in 2012 and James Wilby and Ross Murdoch claiming armfuls of world, European and Commonwealth medals.
Men’s 50 Free
Jacob Mills has had an eye-opening campaign in London. The 17-year-old went 48.03 in the 100 free to dip inside the Singapore QT behind winner Matt Richards. The Repton swimmer returned for the 50 where he went in the ninth of 10 prelims and posted 21.96. Proud eased through the final metres in the last heat to stop the clock in 22.06 and book lane five alongside Mills. Alex Cohoon was third through in 22.22, one place ahead of Richards (22.24) as 0.67 separated the eight qualifiers.
It was a PB by 0.42sec for Mills and his first voyage inside 22secs as he moved up to sixth GB performer all-time alongside Mark Foster.
Given Proud has been pre-selected for Singapore, does London give him the chance to learn or to tweak? “Definitely. This meet stands for quite a lot. I’m probably the only person under this roof right now who can utilise the pre-qualification. All the other guys are either not swimming this summer or they want to qualify in other events. So for me, I really wanted to come into this and make the most of the fact I’m already heading to Singapore: there’s nothing for me to gain this week. So I wanted to make it a bit of a challenge, get some racing, go head to head with some other guys. I still think that I can go quick but I’m doing more than I can to make it tougher. ”
Women’s 200IM
Wood and Shanahan will be alongside each other in the centre lanes for what promises to be a fine final. Wood – a finalist at the last two Olympics – posted 2:12.53 with Shanahan going 2:13.49. Leah Schlosshan was next through in 2:15.25.
Men’s 800 Free Slowest Heats
James Froggatt headed the slowest heats in 8:08.82 ahead of Ethan Kelly (8:14.87). The fastest heat will be contested in the evening final where Reece Grady will clinch the distance double if he prevails. There’ll be no Dan Jervis however with the three-time British champion over 800 now retired and part of the commentary team on poolside.
