Max Litchfield (City of Sheffield) had to wait until the final day of competition at the FINA World Championships in Budapest to race in his preferred event, the Men’s 400m Individual Medley and set a new British record of 4:10.57 to earn a finals berth tonight.
He delivered a comfortable morning swim to ease into tonight’s world title decider in the Danube Arena as the fourth fastest qualifier.
“I’m pleased with that swim, it was case of going out there and getting back tonight, so yeah it’s good.”
“It’s going to be a tough race again tonight, just as it was in the 200m [Individual Medley] final but this is the main one, the main event for me so I’d like to come back again tonight and hopefully go faster again.”
“You dream about competing at events and arenas like this, it’s what you train for so and it’s amazing to be here so it kind of brings the best out in you.”
Team mate and World Championship debutante, Mark Szaranek(University of Edinburgh) also swam the 400m Individual Medley, he signed off from his Budapest 2017 campaign with a ninth place finish.
Also in action on the eighth morning of swimming was Hannah Miley (University of Aberdeen) and Abbie Wood (National Centre Loughborough) both went in the Women’s 400m Individual Medley.
Miley who is competing at her fifth World Championships continued to demonstrate her ability by swimming a controlled race to qualify eighth fastest for the final this evening.
Wood went in the second heat of the 400m IM but closed the event with final ranking of 20th.
Great Britain fielded teams in both the Men’s and the Women’s 4x100m Medley relays and both secured lanes in the finals, fifth and eight respectively.
For the Men’s quartet, Chris Walker-Hebborn (National Centre Bath) explained: “For me it was the first race of the meet, so there was a little bit of uncertainty but it was a consistent swim and right on my season’s best so I just need to move it on tonight.”
“I’ve really enjoyed watching the guy’s race and it’s filled me with confidence for today, so we’ll see how it goes tonight.”
“There’s always an added pressure in a relay, it’s not just an individual swim, there’s a reflection on me so I’ve got to try and pull my weight and do I the best I can to handed over to the over lads and I’m confident I can do that tonight.
Following the Women’s relay swim, Georgia Davies (Loughborough University) said: “Collectively it was good swim and going through to the final is job done for this morning.”
“You can to try and think of everyday as day one of the meet but right now I’m feeling pretty exhausted but tonight I know I’ll have more to give in the final.”
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