Tom Dean Goes Top Of The 200 Free Rankings In 1:46.07; 200 Fly Edinburgh Meet Record For Laura Stephens
Tom Dean went top of the early-season 200 free rankings with a masterful performance ahead of a quality field on day one of the Edinburgh International Meet.
The race featured three of the British quartet that won relay gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the shape of Dean, James Guy and Duncan Scott.
Dean led home Scott for a British one-two in the individual event in the Japanese capital with the Scot reversing the order at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
James Guy; Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA
Scott lined up in lane one after squeaking into the final in joint seventh with Dean and Guy alongside each other in five and six.
And it was Dean who went out with intent, turning in 24.70 ahead of Guy 25.19 with Scott in seventh in 25.68.
Dean (51.53) led Guy and Jack McMillan through halfway with Scott moving up to fourth.
The Olympic champion reached the 150 in 1:19.05 before a final 50 of 27.02 guided him into the wall in 1:46.07, the fastest time in the world this year and 0.45 inside Thomas Ceccon‘s 1:46.52 from Luxembourg in January which previously headed the rankings.
Guy was second in 1:48.32 with McMillan taking the last podium place in 1:48.54 with Scott next home in 1:49.03.
Dean’s time augured well for the coming weeks and months with the British trials for the Fukuoka worlds coming up next month in Sheffield.
He said:
“I always say if I can go 1:46 in Edinburgh, I’m in a good place. I did it three years ago……..I always know my fitness levels are good before we start tapering down so I am really happy with it, really chuffed.
“And most importantly I am really happy with how I executed, I wanted a bit of a back end – back in 27 zero which is good for me.”
He added:
“Edinburgh’s always an interesting one because it’s basically like trials (but) before trials.
“Everybody’s there but people haven’t tapered yet so you’re kind of just getting a gauge to where everyone’s at.
“So I know whenever I’ve got Jimmy (Guy) and Duncan in the final with me it’s going to be a good race, it’s going to be tight, and it was.
“I really enjoyed it, I felt good, had a good strong back-end. The finish could have done with a bit of work because I wanted that 1:45 but at this point of the season? Yeah, I’ll take it.”
Dean, coached by David McNulty at Bath, will take on the 50 free which is being contested in the skins format, with back-to-back races operating on a knockout basis, with the two remaining swimmers racing each other in a final.
His competition will end with the 100m on Sunday, and he looked towards the two-length race, saying:
“I want to give that a good crack, I’m feeling quite fit but I find with the 100 the easy speed comes in taper so you might have to force it out a bit in an in-season race but it’ll be what it’ll be and I am happy with that too.”
Scott Wins “Tough” 200IM
Scott then returned for the final event of the first day in Edinburgh to win the 200IM.
The Olympic silver medallist turned first in 26.08 to Joe Litchfield‘s 26.34, a lead he extended to 0.41 at halfway.
However, Thomas Jansen came back at him on the breaststroke and the pair enjoyed a real tussle on the free with Scott touching in 2:01.01 to Jansen’s 2:01.65.
Scott splits: 26.08/56.74/1:32.32/2:01.01
Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming
He said:
“That was tough. A 200IM in season is is always tough – it keeps you honest. Especially in this meet, with it being three or four weeks out from trials, so it’s good coming here, and with the competition in this meet it’s always a positive. That was an honest effort, so I’ll get plenty out of it, which is good.
“It’s the first time I’ve actually done heats and finals this year. Just the way that the meets have gone and this morning it was maybe just a bit of laziness, and I was a bit soft in the heats but overall the effort was good.”
Of the 200 free, he said:
“When you’ve got the Olympic and world medallists in the event its always going to be a challenge. It’s a shame we couldn’t entice more people here to see it.
“It’s in-season racing and Deano [Tom Dean] was good, 46 flat from him in season is excellent, and hopefully he can drop that further at trials. Good to see Jimmy [Guy] down there doing well also.”
Scott added:
“It’s a tough day lined up tomorrow with the 400IM and 200 Fly, whether I do both, or one, or heats, or finals, we still have to decide that.
“For trials it will definitely be the 200 Free and 200 IM, and outside that we are still playing around, this is going to be a good insight and hopefully set me up for next year, which is what this season has been all about.”
Stephens Sets Meet Record; Masse Leads Home Quality Field
Laura Stephens set an Edinburgh meet record with a dominant performance in the 200 fly that she hinted in with a 2:08.40 prelim swim.
The 2022 Commonwealth silver medallist reached the first turn with a 0.04 lead over Holly Hibbott in 29.14 before putting clear water between herself and the rest of the field to stop the clock in 2:07.41, 0.13secs inside the previous meet mark.
Laura Stephens: Courtesy of: Lindsey Wilson Athletics
It the second-swiftest time of Stephens’ career so far.
Splits: 29.10/1:01.70/1:34.33/2:07.41
Keanna Macinnes (2:10.66) and Emily Large (2:11.67) also made the podium.
The women’s 100m backstroke was a quality field including Kylie Masse – the 2020 and 2016 Olympic medallist – Louise Hansson, Kira Toussaint and Tokyo mixed relay champion Kathleen Dawson.
Masse was out quickly and turned first in 28.96 ahead of Hansson and Simona Kubova with the Canadian’s 30.62 second 50 seeing her into the wall in 59.78.
Kubova was closing with every stroke to take second in 1:00.17 ahead of Katie Shanahan who pipped fellow Scot Dawson by 0.01 in 1:01.20.
Just 0.03 separated the first four swimmers in the men’s race with dead heats for first and third.
Johnathan Adam led at the turn in 26.08, narrowly ahead of Oliver Morgan, but Cameron Brooker came back on the second 50 to tie with Adam in 55.15.
Morgan and Bernhard Reitshammer couldn’t be separated, both clocking 55.18.
Wilby Leads Throughout While Gorbenko Comes Through
Photo Courtesy: British Swimming
James Wilby led from start to finish to take the 200 breaststroke.
The European champion split 30.09/1:03.49/1:37.75 before coming in 2:12.98.
Ivo Kroes was closing on Wilby but touched second in 2:13.61 with Greg Butler – another of the Mel Marshall group in Loughborough – getting third from lane seven in 2:14.42.
Adam Peaty had contested the heats, finishing fourth-fastest in 2:16.41 but opting not to participate in the final.
Anastasia Gorbenko came through the final metres like a train to pip Kara Hanlon in the women’s 100br.
Hanlon led at halfway, 1:31.87 to Imogen Clark‘s 31.90, and it appeared to be a shootout between the two only for Gorbenko to make it a three-horse race.
And it was the Israeli who touched in 1:07.44 ahead of Hanlon *(1:07.63) and Clark (1:07.66).
Hopkin Wins; Wiffen Continues Fine Form; Colbert Dominant
Anna Hopkin won the 50 free in 24.72 followed by a skins event won by Catie Deloof in 26.40.
Daniel Wiffen has made a real impact on the international stage in the last year and rewritten the European and Irish record books in the process.
Out in 58.00, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist already had a body-length lead by 150 over Toby Robinson.
Consistently in the high 29s/low 30s, he reached halfway in 7:31 and came home in 15:07.93 for a dominant victory over Robinson (15:23.51) and Yoav Romano (15:44.02).
Catie Deloof: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Freya Colbert led Paige Madden by 0.24 in 59.43 after the first 100 of the 400 free.
She pulled away on the third 50 and was never threatened, stopping the clock in 4:09.04 ahead of Madden (4:13.17) and Mia Slevin (4:13.35).
The women’s 50 free and men’s 50 fly were contested in the skins format.
Jacob Peters headed the A final of the 50 fly in 23.74 before Simon Bucher won the skins in 24.36.
50 free 26.40?