Eight Tokyo Olympic champions are among a 23-strong British team to have been selected for the World Championships in Budapest.
Adam Peaty, Anna Hopkin, Tom Dean, Kathleen Dawson, James Guy, Duncan Scott and Matt Richards – are part of a group that blends experienced championship performers with youth and will compete across the first eight days of the programme, which runs from 17 June-3 July.
Freya Anderson is also selected at the discretion of performance director Chris Spice despite not having made it inside any consideration times at last week’s British Championships in Sheffield.
Max Litchfield will not compete in the Hungarian capital despite having finished fourth in the 400IM in Tokyo and therefore being preselected. .
Neither is Calum Jarvis on the team for Budapest despite having swum the heats of the men’s 4×200 free in Tokyo which went on to win gold nor has Kara Hanlon who won the women’s 100br as well as taking bronze in the 50 and 200.
Meanwhile, nine of the team are set to make their World Championship debut, with Lewis Burras, Freya Colbert and Medi Harris making their first senior international appearances for Britain on the global stage.
Mel Marshall – coach to Peaty, Hopkin and Tokyo 200 back bronze medallist Luke Greenbank at Loughborough – is once more on the coaching team.
She is joined by Adam Baker (Swansea Aquatics), David Hemmings (Loughborough National Centre), David McNulty, (Bath National Centre) and Steven Tigg (University of Stirling).
Lewis Burras: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming
Burras announced himself on the international stage when he went within 0.01secs of Scott’s British 100 free record in 47.88 before ending Ben Proud’s domination of the 50 free in 21.77 last week at Ponds Forge.
Colbert – who represents the Nova Centurion club – came away with a medal of each colour including gold in the 400IM while Harris won gold and silver in the 100 and 50 back.
Scott was the standout performer, setting a national 400IM mark of 4:09.18 before going 1:56.08 in the short medley and rounding his week off with victory in the 200 free leading Guy to describe him as “like a Michael Phelps but a skinnier version.”
The 2022 World Championships is the benchmark meet for Britain’s elite swimmers at the start of a busy summer of aquatics action with the team going on to the Commonwealth Games with their respective home nations and then concluding the season at the European Championships in Rome in August.
British Swimming performance director Spice said:
“It was fantastic to be back at a full British Championships at Ponds Forge last week, seeing exceptional swims from some of our established names alongside a long line of personal bests and standout performances from younger athletes.
“While pre-selections for Budapest from our Olympic results meant some swimmers adapted their plans for the meet, we were not short on world-class quality each day.
“Duncan Scott’s British record in the men’s 400m individual medley was a big highlight, as was that men’s 200m freestyle finale, while athletes like Abbie Wood, Daniel Jervis and Lewis Burras all showed the strong positions they are in at this stage of the season with multiple British titles.
“Now the focus very much turns to ensuring this team can produce season’s best performances when it matters most, on the World Championship stage.
“We have seen time and again in recent years that our swimmers are capable of bringing their best to the fore at the perfect moment, and we will be working between now and mid-June to make sure everyone is in a position to do that.
“It was also exciting for the selectors to be able to select so many young, up-and-coming athletes who will gain priceless major arena experience, while also pushing for big swims.
“Relays have been an important focus for British Swimming over recent years, and our discretionary selections allow us as many relay options as possible as we build towards Paris 2024.”
Colbert – who turned 18 in March – said:
“I’m super excited to be selected, if not a bit surprised, as my best at British Championships was better than I could’ve imagined!
“Making my first senior international team is a massive achievement for myself – I know how difficult the transition from junior to senior can be and so I’m excited to be given the opportunity.
“Being on the team with such experienced and successful athletes will create a great learning environment for myself and I can’t wait to get on that plane to Budapest.”
The British Swimming team for the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary
Kathleen Dawson, University of Stirling
Thomas Dean, Bath National Centre
Luke Greenbank, Loughborough National Centre
Daniel Jervis, Swansea Aquatics
Adam Peaty, Loughborough National Centre
Benjamin Proud, Bath University
Molly Renshaw, Loughborough National Centre
Duncan Scott, University of Stirling
James Wilby, Loughborough National Centre
Abbie Wood, Loughborough National Centre
The athletes above gained selection based on top-six finishes in individual events at Tokyo 2020, as per clause 5.1 of the selection policy
James Guy, Bath National Centre
Anna Hopkin, Loughborough National Centre
Matthew Richards, Bath National Centre
The athletes above gained selection based on winning a relay medal, and swimming in that relay’s final, at Tokyo 2020, as per clause 5.2 of the selection policy
Lewis Burras, Winchester City
The athletes above gained selection after placing first or second in an event at the British Swimming Championships and achieving the relevant consideration time, as per clause 5.4 of the selection policy
Jacob Whittle, Loughborough National Centre
The athletes above gained selection after meeting the criteria for relay additions under the relevant consideration times, as per clause 5.5 of the selection policy
Freya Anderson, Bath National Centre
Freya Colbert, Nova Centurions
Medi Harris, Swansea University
Lucy Hope, University of Stirling
Joe Litchfield, Loughborough National Centre
Jacob Peters, Bath National Centre
Laura Stephens, Loughborough National Centre
Brodie Williams, Bath National Centre
The athletes above gained selection at the discretion of the GB Head Coach and Performance Director. The criteria for these decisions included the need to develop relay teams for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games; provision of relay cover and alternates to rest key athletes with large schedules; potential to make the Paris 2024 Olympic team; individual performances over the last 12 months and performances at the 2022 British Swimming Championships.