British Swimming has today announced that 33 swimmers have been selected to compete at either the European or World Junior Championships this summer, after impressing at the British Swimming Championships a week ago.
First up is the European Junior Championships, where 30 swimmers will make the trip to Kazan, Russia, for the five day event in which Britain has a strong history. At last summer’s edition in Helsinki, Finland, Freya Anderson struck double gold in the 50m & 100m Freestyle, whilst Tom Dean scooped the Men’s 200m Individual Medley title; both have since progressed to become mainstays in the senior team. Other winners at these championships include James Guy and Max Litchfield.
Stand out names from last week’s British Championships include Matt Richards who at 16 years of age posted impressive 100m and 200m Freestyle lifetime bests, making the Open Final in the latter. Charlie Hutchison is also on a meteoric rise, his fifth place finish in the 400m Individual Medley seeing him produce a world class junior performance. Also making the headlines was Jacob Whittle, the Derby swimmer setting the fastest 100m Freestyle time ever by a 14 year old.
On the female side, Katie Shanahan set a British age 14 Women’s 200m Individual Medley record, the Glasgow based swimmer making the most of the home support to go inside two consideration times to secure her place on the team.
A more select squad of 10 swimmers will then travel to Budapest, Hungary, for the World Junior Championships, with a number of swimmers doubling up at the two international meets. On the team is the likes of City of Leicester’s Will Bell who took a splendid pair of silvers in the Men’s 800m and 1500m Freestyle events at the British Championships. Doubling up in the two international meets is Scottish rising star Archie Goodburn, who was part of the squad that won bronze in the Men’s 4x200m Relay squad at last year’s European Juniors, Ellesmere College’s Pia Murray and Plymouth Leander’s Honey Osrin.
Recent winners at World Junior level include Freya Anderson, who bagged gold in the Women’s 100m Freestyle in 2017, James Guy and Max Litchfield in the Men’s 4x200m Relay in 2013 and Craig Benson in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke in Peru in 2011.
As per the selection policy a full quota of swimmers will travel to Kazan (30) and Budapest (10).
Of the teams selected Head of Elite Development, Tim Jones, said:
“In amongst the results from the British Championships were some outstanding junior performances, and prodigious talent the likes of which we have not seen for a number of years. This is an exciting group of young swimmers, with a good number who will still be available for junior competition for another year or two.”
“We are always confronted with some significant selection dilemmas in years when there are EYOF, European Junior and World Junior competitions in very close proximity. We have decided to challenge many of our athletes by selecting them for more than one meet.
“We know that one of the key attributes of successful senior swimmers is that they are robust and resilient, and have the ability to perform when it most matters. Our decision to ask many swimmers to race in two big meets reflects our determination to develop these characteristics in our swimmers to help ensure they can effectively transition into and be successful in the senior international ranks, at World and Olympic level.”
European Junior Team:
- Kyle Booth, Wales, City of Cardiff
- Charlie Brown, England, City of Sheffield Swim Squad
- Rebecca Clynes, England, City of Leeds SC
- Freya Colbert, England, Nova Centurion SC
- Jacob Davies, England, City of Birmingham SC
- Evelyn Davis, England, Bromley SC
- Maisie Elliott, England, City of Leicester SC
- Sophie Freeman, England, Plymouth Leander SC
- Michaella Glenister, England, Leicester Sharks Swimming Club
- Archie Goodburn, Scotland, Warrender Baths Club
- Medi Harris, Wales, Swim Gwynedd
- Charlie Hutchison, Scotland, Ellesmere College Titans SC
- Fleur Lewis, England, Barnet Copthall SC
- Adam Metcalf, England, Ellesmere College Titans SC
- Edward Mildred, England, Northampton Swimming Club
- Pia Murray, England, Ellesmere College Titans SC
- Harry Noble, England, Mount Kelly Swimming
- Samuel Osborne, England, City of Birmingham SC
- Honey Osrin, England, Plymouth Leander SC
- Matthew Richards, Wales, The Royal Wolverhampton School
- Emma Russell, Scotland, Heart of Midlothian ASC
- Katie Shanahan, Scotland, City Of Glasgow Swim Team
- Mia Slevin, England, Derventio Excel Swim Squad
- Oliver Taverner, England, Mount Kelly Swimming
- Joel Thompson, England, Ellesmere College Titans SC
- Kayla Van Der Merwe, England, Winchester City Penguins
- Tamryn Van Selm, England, Bromley SC
- Lauren Wetherell, Scotland, Ellesmere College Titans SC
- Jacob Whittle, England, Derventio Excel Swim Squad
- Sophie Yendell, England, City of Derby Swimming Club
Coaches:
- Tim Jones, Team Leader,
- Kevin Renshaw, Head Coach
- Jamie Main, Coach, Deventio Excel
- Jacquie Marshall, Coach, Northampton Swimming Club
- Lauren Jocelyn, Coach, British Para-Swimming
- Marc Spackman, Coach, The Royal Wolverhampton School
World Junior Team:
- Rachel Anderson, England, Millfield School
- Will Bell, England, City of Leicester SC
- Kyle Booth, Wales, City of Cardiff
- Charlie Brown, England, City of Sheffield Swim Squad
- Michaella Glenister, England, Leicester Sharks Swimming Club
- Archie Goodburn, Scotland, Warrender Baths Club
- Pia Murray, England, Ellesmere College Titans SC
- Honey Osrin, England, Plymouth Leander SC
- Charlotte Rigg, England, City of Birmingham SC
- Kayla Van Der Merwe, England, Winchester City Penguins
Coaches:
- Tim Jones, Team Leader
- Stuart McNarry, Coach, Swansea Univeristy
- Bradley Hay, Coach, University of Stirling
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with British Swimming For press releases and advertising inquiries please contactAdvertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
