Freya Anderson To Focus On 200 Free In Fukuoka, Drops 100; Excited By Relay Potential After Scott Inspiration
Freya Anderson has her eyes solely on the 200 free at the World Championships after dropping the 100 because of a scheduling clash.
The nine-time European relay champion won the 100-200 free double at the British trials in April with the 200 her solo individual mission after going inside 1:56 for the first time in Sheffield in 1:55.89.
Freya Anderson: Photo Courtesy: Morgan Harlow/British Swimming
However, the heats and semis of the two-length race fall on the same day as the women’s 4×200 relay in Fukuoka.
The 22-year-old won the 100 in Sheffield in 53.48, a full second outside Mollie O’Callaghan’s world-leading time of 52.48, with the Australian heading eight women inside 53secs so far this year.
The decision was therefore made with coach Dave McNulty to withdraw and instead put all her energies into the relay that day given a top-five spot seems attainable for the British women.
Anderson told Swimming World:
“I was going to do it but it’s on the same day as the 4×2 and we’ve obviously now got a really exciting team building for that.
“So me and Dave decided to pull me from that because is it realistic I can make the final? Probably not.
“So it was one of them put-the-team-first kind of decisions.”
Inspired By Scott, Anderson Excited By Relay Potential
Anderson has an Olympic mixed medley relay title after swimming the heats in Tokyo, two years after world bronze at Gwangju 2019.
She’ll compete in up to five relays in Fukuoka – the women’s and mixed 4×100 free and 4×100 medley as well as the 4×2.
She trains at Bath Performance Centre on a daily basis with Tom Dean and James Guy – who made up half the quartet that won the men’s 4×2 gold in Tokyo.
Inspired by what the men have achieved, Anderson is excited about the women’s relay potential in Japan.
She recalled the stirring men’s medley relay victory in 2019 when Duncan Scott overhauled Nathan Adrian at the death with a 46.14 anchor leg.
Britain 4x100m medley relay in Gwangju – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
Only Jason Lezak has ever gone quicker with his 46.06 split during the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
It ignited something within Anderson who continued:
“I think it was when Duncan did the 46.1 split in the medley at Worlds in Gwangju. All us girls were in the call room and we were just amazed by it.
“It does set a little fire inside you I guess and that’s kind of been building throughout the years.
“The coaching team at British Swimming are producing these hypothetical relay swims and it just shows we have a chance.
“Just being shown we have that chance is really sparking everyone.
“Lucy (Hope) went 1:57 at Sette Colli, Freya (Colbert) went a 1:56, Abbie (Wood) is a 1:56/57 girl – our relay team can be competitive there so one of the things we’re really focusing on for this worlds is just to see what we can do.
“It’s quite exciting – we were having a meeting on the prep camp in France and I was ‘oh my God, I just want to race now’.
“Just hearing what could be possible is really exciting and I hope those swims come together and we can do a good job in Japan.”