Freestyle hat-trick for Anderson in Edinburgh

Less than a month out from the British Swimming Championships, the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh played host to what is always a crucial tune-up meet for athletes during an important block of training. 

Among those to show impressive form at this stage of the season was Bath National Centre competitor Anderson, who was victorious on each of the three days across the Women's 100m, 200m and 400m Freestyle contests. 

The highlight of her triple win came in Sunday's 100m showdown with British record holder Anna Hopkin. Hopkin - who was fastest in the 50m Freestyle event - sprinted into a strong lead at the turn, only for Anderson - who trains under coach David McNulty - to surge back in the last 25m and beat her compatriot to the touch by a mere 0.02 seconds. 

That result added to a more straightforward victory in the 200m Freestyle, where she controlled her pace well and went to the legs down the home straight to hold off Plymouth Leander's Aimee Canny. Anderson also took opening-day triumph in the 400m Freestyle, a longer-than-usual distance for the Olympic gold medallist as she builds towards the British Championships.

Another with a busy race schedule in Edinburgh was University of Stirling man Scott. Team GB's most decorated athlete in history at a single Games took down two meet records across the Men's 200m and 400m Individual Medleys. His time in the shorter of those events was even more impressive given he was coming off the back of an intense battle with Tom Dean and James Guy in the 200m Freestyle earlier in the night. 

Scott's 1:59.35 in the 200m IM saw him win ahead of Andreas Vazaois, while it was Bath National Centre man Brodie Williams who could not catch him over 400m, Williams finishing a distant second behind the Steve Tigg-coached Scott, who provided the latest reminder of his strength and versatility in the pool.

Discussing his performances after the 400m Individual Medley, he said: "This meet isn’t really about swimming fast. I know when I need to swim fast and how I need to swim.  I’m happy with the 200m Individual Medley and the 200m Freestyle as well. It was a bit of a dogfight which is good - you learn a lot from races like that."

The aforementioned Men's 200m Freestyle, meanwhile, served up yet another eye-catching tussle of world-class British competitors. While Scott seized the initiative over a powerful opening 100m, it was Olympic champion Dean - another of the McNulty stable - who scorched into the lead late on, his impressive back-end speed securing the gold. Guy completed the podium places in third. 

Speaking about that result, Dean said: "This is is such a special pool for me, my first British titles were here, four years ago. Then two years ago I came here for the last home race before COVID lockdown, so I love this pool and I can't complain with a 1:47." 

James Wilby matched Anderson's record of three event wins across the meet as he took a clean sweep of the men's breaststroke titles. The David Hemmings-coached athlete began his weekend with a well-paced swim in the 200m Breaststroke, an effort that kept him ahead of fellow Loughborough National Centre man Greg Butler throughout to touch first. That was followed up on Saturday by a repeat performance, Wilby staying ahead of the chasing Butler across two strong laps of breaststroke for the 100m victory.

The Sunday, meanwhile, showed more sprint speed to Wilby's current form as he won each of the skins contests in the 50m Breaststroke, closing out a positive three-day meet for the Olympic and World Championship medallist. 

Abbie Wood closed out the entire meet on Sunday evening with a brilliant showcase of medley swimming as she claimed a comprehensive victory in the Women's 200m Individual Medley. Wood steadily built her lead across each stroke, her favoured breaststroke-freestyle combo over the second 100m allowing her to surge clear and clock a time just more than a second off her personal best - an eye-catching display at this point in the season.

Other notable winners in Edinburgh were James Guy in the Men's 100m Butterfly - a dominant swim seeing him clear of Bath National Centre teammate Ed Mildred, in second - and Kathleen Dawson in the Women's 100m Backstroke. 

Ben Proud was in fine sprinting form across the Men's 50m Freestyle and Butterfly contests to lead home the opening, freshest skins legs in both events, with his butterfly effort a new meet record. Katie Shanahan (City of Glasgow) and Brodie Williams (Bath National Centre) won the respective 200m Backstroke titles, while Kara Hanlon of Edinburgh University claimed a memorable win in her home pool in the Women's 100m Breaststroke, as she clawed back Sarah Vasey's lead late on to win by a dramatic 0.04 seconds. Jacob Whittle won the Men's 100m Freestyle final after a superb showing in the heats from Winchester City's Lewis Burras.

For the full results from the Edinburgh International Swim Meet, click here. 

Top image courtesy of Georgie Kerr; second and third images courtesy of Ian MacNicol/Scottish Swimming