Freestyle Relay brings a busy night of worlds action to a close

Thursday night’s schedule in the swimming pool was Britain’s busiest of these World Aquatics championships so far, with representation in all nine events featured in the finals session.

Concluding the night was a mature team display from the quartet of Freya Colbert, Freya Anderson, Abbie Wood and Leah Schlosshan in the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle to place fifth on the world stage as they did 12 months ago in Paris.

Lucy Hope provided a solid leg for the team in the heats to allow Colbert – who led out it out in the final – a rest after last night’s British record swim, while Anderson took the second leg as she appeared in her second race of the evening, having earlier in the session placed 16th in the Women’s 100m Freestyle semi-finals after a late induction to the start list as the first reserve athlete from the morning heats.

Sitting fifth at the halfway stage, Wood maintained the charge to hold that position with world debutant Schlosshan providing a solid anchor swim.

“I think most of all it’s made us hungrier – this is a relay we’re going to work on for the next few years going into LA. We’ve got so much depth as a team and this is the first time all four of us have swam together [in a final] so fifth in the world, we can’t complain,” said Wood

“It’s a event we’re all passionate about, there’s only so many opportunities to be part of a relay and there was definitely a lot of heart going out there. We can build on this and there is more to come from all of us,” added Colbert.

In the hunt for medals, Duncan Scott placed fourth overall in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley contest that had seen a world record the previous evening.

The opening 50m butterfly set what would ultimately be the positions of top four for the entire race, and despite a typically strong closing length of freestyle, Scott was unable to get over the top of his competitors into a podium spot on this occasion.

“I thought I got after that pretty well, tried to utilise my strengths. I mean 1:55.34 for third’s fast, that's real quick,” said Scott

“Look it is what it is, year one of a four-year cycle, so off the back of last year I'm pretty sold with that. You know if I did it the other way around - time from today yesterday, then I probably would be a little bit happier because you want to produce your best in the final when it matters, but I put myself in with a good chance last night and that's probably the first time I've ever gone slower in a final than a semi.

“I think a lot of the time in the past I've probably come away with medals, but also leaving the pool being like, ‘I've gone in there, kind of like afraid to lose rather than like wanting to win’ and that's what I thought I did really well last night was taking the race out, going out fast and being pretty controlled with it. I thought I did that well again, and that's why I can hold my head high because that's how I think I can improve in that event going forward.”

It was a matter of six hundredths that separated Lauren Cox from a second career world medal in the Women’s 50m Backstroke. Getting an improved start of yesterday’s qualifying swims, Cox was fifth into the wall at the end of the all-out sprint across the lanes.

“That was definitely my best start [of the meet] and it was good to be involved in a quick race – I couldn’t see anything so just chucked myself at the wall at the finish.”

Emily Richards had set a lifetime best to reach the Women’s 200m Butterfly final. Lining up tonight in lane two, the Manchester Performance Centre athlete set out with a strong pace over the first half of the race before bringing it home for another sub-2:08 swim on the world stage for 7th place.

Commenting on her first world final, she said:

“It was amazing, such a spectacle to be a part of and racing among the best in the world I’ll take a lot of confidence from that consistency into next year and beyond.”

Her husband, Matt Richards, was not far behind her in passing through the call room and out onto poolside to take part in the Men’s 100m Freestyle. Among a stacked field the Ryan Livingstone-coached swimmer didn’t have the best start and though fighting hard to get into the race finished eighth overall.

Angharad Evans meanwhile booked her spot in a maiden world championship final, qualifying as the number four seed through in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke.

“That felt a lot better than this morning – I’m treating every swim like a final after the mistake I made in the 100m,” said Evans.

“At the same time that was fun. I told myself not to put too much pressure on it as that could have of been my last swim of the championships and I don’t want to look back with the regret of not enjoying it here – with that [attitude] and being happy I produced a much better time and I’m looking forward to tomorrow night."

In the Men’s 200m Backstroke Luke Greenbank edged into the final as the eight fastest seeded athlete and will have a chance from the outside lane to build on his qualifying swim, as he bids to add to previous world championship silverware won in this event at Gwangju 2019 and Budapest 2022.

While Greg Butler set a new lifetime best of 2:09.60 to just miss out on progressing from the Men’s 200m Breaststroke in ninth overall – a marked improvement on 23rd in his world debut at Fukuoka 2023.

Stream live free-to-air coverage of the World Aquatics Championships 2025 taking place in Singapore at www.aquaticsgb.com/live.

Thursday 31st July Swimming results

• Women’s 200m Butterfly: Emily Richards – 7th overall
• Women’s 100m Freestyle: Freya Anderson – 16th overall, Eva Okaro – 21st overall
• Men’s 200m Individual Medley: Duncan Scott – 4th overall
• Men’s 100m Freestyle: Matt Richards – 8th overall
• Women’s 200m Breaststroke: Angharad Evans – 4th into final
• Women’s 50m Backstroke: Lauren Cox – 5th overall
• Men’s 200m Breaststroke: Greg Butler – 9th overall
• Men’s 200m Backstroke: Luke Greenbank- 8th into final, Oliver Morgan – 21st overall
• Women’s 4x200m Freestyle: Freya Colbert, Freya Anderson, Abbie Wood, Leah Schlosshan and Lucy Hope – 5th overall

Extended results available on the World Aquatics website here.