Swimming

2024 British Olympic Trials: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

Sports FEED

April 7, 2024

By Mark Wild on SwimSwam

2024 Aquatics GB Swimming CHAMPIONSHIPS (OLYMPIC TRIALS)

Tuesday, April 2nd – Sunday, April 7th
Prelims at 10 am local (5 am EDT), Finals at 7 pm local (2 pm EDT)
London Aquatics Centre
LCM (50m)
British Swimming Olympic Selection Policy
Meet Central
SwimSwam Preview
Entries
Prelims: Day 1 Recap /Day 2 Recap /Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/Day 5 Recap/Day 6 Recap
Finals: Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap /Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/Day 5 Recap
Results
Livestream: Channel 4 YouTube coverage

Heat Sheet

Order of Events

Women’s 800 Freestyle
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Men’s 200 Freestyle

Characteristic of my brilliance, my plans haven’t caught on, and “Chunnel” hasn’t made a comeback yet. Is it too much to ask for the announcers to just say it once? The answer is probably yes, so the overt action of yesterday will have to take a backseat to more subliminal messaging.

However, we are not here to make “Chunnel” happen; rather, it is the last day of the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships 2024. We have seen a bevy of fast swimming, including a new national record (or two), and tonight should be no exception.

Using the benefit of youth, the first event of the evening sees multiple teenagers in the fastest heat of the 800. Leading the charge for the British distance women is 14-year-old Amelie Blocksidge. The winner in the 1500, Blocksidge, enters with a time of 8:32.65, and while the nomination standard is over six seconds faster, don’t count her out. While making the standard is a stretch, she was under the Olympic consideration time in the 1500, so with a strong swim here, she could be eyed as a discretionary pick. She will be flanked by Fleur Lewis and Leah Crisp tonight, with the former the only other swimmer entered sub-8:40.

Not yet on the team, but looking to defend his Olympic bronze medal is Luke Greenbank. Since the Olympics, Greenbank has been up and down. He won silver at the 2022 Worlds but failed to make the Worlds team in 2023 and was just 9th in Doha. However, he has the center lane tonight and was faster than anyone else by over one and a half seconds. Already on the team is Oliver Morgan, the newly minted record holder in the 100 back, and he will look to use his early speed to set the pace. Surrounding the pair are Jonny Marshall and Brodie Williams, and both will look to contest for the win.

National Record Watch is in effect in the Women’s 100 breast as Angharad Evans swam a speedy 1:06.27 and now sits just .08 away from Molly Renshaw’s record. Evans, who already clipped the nomination standard this morning, will look to do it again tonight. Individual event berths aren’t the only spot on the line, as medley relay berths are up for grabs. Kara Hanlon, the winner in the 200, will line up to Evan’s right in lane 5 and was the only other swimmer under 1:08, but you can’t count out Imogen Clark, the fastest British woman in the 50 breast.

Eva Okaro swam her way into a good position of making her first Olympic team after taking the second seed tonight. Okaro, who was the silver medalist in the 50 free, will look to contest with top seed Anna Hopkin. While the nomination standard may be a step too far

Last but certainly not least, saving the best for last, insert whatever adage you want here; we end the evening and compete with the Men’s 200 Free. Over the past few Olympic cycles, the event has been one of the strongest for the nation. In Rio, James Guy placed 4th in the individual final, and the 4×200 relay earned silver. At the next games in Tokyo, Guy teamed up with Matt Richards and, with the help of the individual gold medalist Thomas Dean and individual silver medalist Duncan Scott, the quartet topped the podium in the relay. Tonight, the four will look to repeat the feat, but will have to first qualify. Dean enters as the fastest qualifier, followed by Richards, but they face threats from Guy, who has yet to qualify, as well as Jack McMillian, who is seeking his first Olympic team representing Great Britain.