Abbie Wood produced the fourth-fastest time in the world in 2021 to win the 200IM in 2:09.24 among a host of swims that were all the more impressive given they are untapered in the first morning finals at the British Swimming Glasgow Meet.
Duncan Scott took the men’s short medley in 1:57.28 and James Guy went 51.16 in the 100 fly while Kathleen Dawson once more produced a swim that indicated fine times to come in Tokyo next month.
Adam Peaty won the 50 breaststroke in 26.86 with his Loughborough team-mate Sarah Vasey taking the women’s title in 31.00.
The meet at Tollcross International Swimming Centre mirrors the Tokyo schedule of morning finals and evening heats and is the last chance for swimmers to book a spot on the British team.
Wood Improves On Budapest Time To Rattle Rankings
Abbie Wood: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming
Wood and Alicia Wilson have already qualified for Tokyo and the pair were alongside each other in lanes four and five.
Wood – who is coached by Dave Hemmings at Loughborough NTC – led throughout and was ahead by more than two body-lengths following the breaststroke.
She went away down the final 50 to touch in a time that would have won gold at the European Championships, 0.75 quicker than the 2:09.99 in which Anastasia Gorbenko became the first Israeli woman to win a continental title.
It was also well within the 2:10.03 in which Wood took silver in Budapest and just 0.01 outside her winning time and PB from April trials.
Splits: 27.57/1:01.12/1:37.93/2:09.24
Only Madisyn Cox (2:08.51) and Kaylee McKeown (2:08.73), as well as Wood herself, have gone quicker this year and she now owns three of the five swiftest times this year.
Wilson was second in 2:13.49 with Aimee Willmott – heading for her third Games in the 400IM – third in 2:19.24.
Wood said:
“I think it was tough for everyone to get up, my only goal was just to go faster than last night – I did that and so it’s putting good practice in for Tokyo.
“You can’t have excuses because everyone’s in the same boat, it’s about who has prepared the best – and British Swimming putting on morning finals is preparing the team really well.
“By the time I got to the 200IM final in Budapest, it was my ninth race.
“I love stepping up for the team, but I’ve not had chance to do the 200IM at the start of a meet yet, which is probably why that was a bit quicker.
“It’s nice to see where I am when I’m not done in by lots of races like I had done at Europeans. It’s set the meet off in a nice way.”
Scott In Fine Fettle Once More
Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming
The Litchfield brothers – Max and Joe – were the top two qualifiers with British record-holder Scott in lane six.
Joe Litchfield had a fine start and was the last man to rise at the head of the field but Scott took over on the backstroke.
He extended his lead throughout, coming home in 28.19 for a time that was 0.90 swifter than that in which he was sixth in Budapest and would have seen him 0.03 off the podium.
Splits: 25.75/55.27/1:29.09/1:57.28
Max Litchfield was second in 1:59.12, 0.01 ahead of younger sibling Joe in 1:59.13.
Scott said:
“Time-wise it was good but I guess you can’t really look into a time. I’m not here to focus on the time, I’m learning things for morning finals. I’ve done quite a lot of preparation for that.
“From a British Swimming point we’re all looking at different things here. People are trying out different things and I think it’s quite a good idea to have this meet on. It’s a good exercise to trial and really improve on what we can do in the morning before we have finals.”
Guy Flies High; Dawson In Control Again
Guy split 23.54/27.62 to win the 100 fly in 51.16 – only 0.17 off the time in which he European bronze.
Jacob Peters went 52.71 with Ed Mildred, one with eyes on Paris 2024, third in 53.15.
Guy, coached by Dave McNulty at Bath NTC, said:
James Guy: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming
“Considering we’ve just driven 450 miles to get to Glasgow, what a great swim! That was very unexpected, since Europeans we’ve been straight back into work with the eye on the bigger prize of Tokyo – but what a great swim to start the meet off.
“We came back from Budapest, we had one aerobic session and since then we’ve been in the middle of work. This meet here is a prep meet, trying new things before Tokyo, and obviously morning finals is a big part of that. So to do that time in the morning is a good time.
“I’m in a great place, I feel really confident with what I’m doing. I feel happy at home, and I think having that balance between swimming and lifestyle at home is really important.
“Everything is coming together quite nicely.”
Body high and flat in the water and her head stock still with a long, fluid stroke, Dawson is an athlete who appears to be heading like an arrow towards the Olympic podium.
She came away from Budapest with three golds and a silver and the European 100 back record to boot, her confidence sky high and enormous mental strength augmented further after winning the 100 title in a reswim.
Kathleen Dawson. Photo Courtesy: Georgia Kerr, British Swimming
The University of Stirling athlete controlled the 200 back, an event in which she has qualified but has stated she will concentrate on the shorter race.
Dawson won in 2:08.85 ahead of Katie Shanahan (2:12.79) and European silver medallist Cassie Wild, who claimed bronze in 2:14.26 from lane eight.
She said:
“It’s good to be able to come into this and adapt to doing morning finals. I did well, I’m happy with the swim.
“I did everything I could to beat Cassie’s Scottish record but it wasn’t to be! We’ve both been swimming so well in training and she absolutely deserved it and I was really pleased for her,” she said, referencing training partner Wild’s 200 silver in Budapest.
“I’ve got confidence in my ability to come back in that last 50m on the 100m, so to be able to swim that well as that in the morning in the 200m gives me a lot of confidence for the morning finals in Tokyo.”
World bronze medallist Luke Greenbank won the men’s 200 backstroke in 1:58.12 although he will be the sole British representative in the event with no man threatening the consideration time.
Ben Proud went 21.93 to take the 50 free with Anna Hopkin winning the women’s event in 24.83 – slower than her heat time of 24.67.
Harriet Jones won the 100 fly in 59.27 ahead of Keanna MacInnes (59.57) and Alys Thomas (59.69).
Jones has already booked her spot on the team but will now be the sole Briton in the event with no other swimmer getting close to the consideration time of 57.92 in Glasgow.
In the opening final of the morning, Dan Jervis – who is heading for Tokyo – enjoyed a comfortable victory in 15:16.69.
Luke Turley was 4.57secs behind in 15:21.26 with Joseph Deighan next home in 15:51.36.
In the para-swimming multi-classification events, Maisie Summers-Newton stopped the clock in 3:01.55 in the 200IM ahead of fellow SM6 competitor Ellie Simmonds.
Summers-Newton, who also looked ahead to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in August, said:
“I’m really happy. A 3:01, that’s quite a solid race for me, it gives me quite a bit of confidence for training into the Games because it’s less than 100 days away now. I’m really happy with it.”
Louis Lawlor (25.00) and Hannah Russell (28.66) won the respective 50 frees and Stephen Clegg went 57.47 in the 100 fly.
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