Ben Proud Eyes Another Line In History At World Short-Course; Adam Peaty & Tom Dean Among 11-Strong British Team
Ben Proud will look to once more make history as he seeks his fourth major title this year after being selected to the British team for the 16th FINA World Short-Course Championships in Melbourne in December.
The 28-year-old wrote his own entry in the history books in August when he added the European 50 free title to his world and Commonwealth crowns to become the first swimmer to complete the hat-trick in one season.
Proud has won every title available to him since finishing a devastating joint-fifth at Tokyo 2020, claiming the 50 free at the 2021 short-course worlds in Abu Dhabi.
He’s among an 11-strong British squad for the meet at at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre that runs from 13-18 December and which also features the return to competition of Adam Peaty.
Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
The three-time Olympic champion withdrew from the European Championships following the Commonwealth Games where he finished outside the medals in the 100m breaststroke before coming back to claim his first 50br title.
Tokyo 200 free gold medallist Tom Dean, who claimed three medals at the World Championships in Budapest before going on to claim a further 10 across the Commonwealths and Europeans, will also make the trip to Australia.
So too fellow Olympic champion Anna Hopkin who swam the anchor leg as Britain won the mixed medley relay in Tokyo.
Double Tokyo 2020 medallist Luke Greenbank and multiple European podium-placer Abbie Wood are also on the plane.
Those competing for the first time include Medi Harris, winner of five medals across Commonwealths and Europeans, and world medley relay bronze medallist Lewis Burras.
Distance freestyler Daniel Jervis will look to build into his season at the competition, while Imogen Clark and Isabella Hindley complete the team.
British Swimming performance director Chris Spice shone some light on the importance of the event for the athletes, saying:
“These World Short-Course Championships are a great opportunity for the group to get back into top-level racing early in the season, while also acting as a stepping stone for our ultimate 2023 target of the World Championships in Fukuoka next summer.
“It’s great that we are able to take a team of this strength and experience to Melbourne, including Adam, who unfortunately had to miss an important chunk of last season, and athletes like Ben and Tom, who had outstanding summers. Anna is an experienced, world-class short-course racer, and it’s fantastic that Abbie is involved too after having to pull out of last year’s World Short Course meet due to illness.
“There is also an important chance for some of the swimmers to experience another world-class arena as part of their ongoing learnings, and we are excited that the team will be able to get involved in more relays across the meet too. We have a great group and hopefully we will be able to continue our solid preparations as we head into the new year.”
British Swimming team for the FINA World Short Course Championships in Melbourne, Australia (13th-18th December 2022):
Lewis Burras, Winchester City
Imogen Clark, Derventio Excel
Tom Dean, Bath Performance Centre
Luke Greenbank, Loughborough Performance Centre
Medi Harris, Swim Wales High Performance Centre, Swansea
Isabella Hindley, Brompton Swimming Club
Anna Hopkin, Loughborough Performance Centre
Daniel Jervis, Swim Wales High Performance Centre, Swansea
Adam Peaty, Loughborough Performance Centre
Ben Proud, Bath University
Abbie Wood, Loughborough Performance Centre
No Scott, Wilby, Renshaw, Stephens….???
Also no Guy or Anderson??