Hopkin completes sprint freestyle double in style

The Loughborough National Centre swimmer and Olympic gold medallist said her success bodes well for the summer after she led from start to finish – and held off a late challenge from Bath National Centre’s Freya Anderson – to take the gold medal in the Women’s 100m Freestyle on day four at Ponds Forge.

It was a polished performance from Hopkin, who dipped below the World Championships consideration time of 53.55 in the process and went quicker than the mark she set at British Swimming Selection Trials at this stage in 2021.  The 25-year-old had triumphed in the 50m race on day three in Sheffield and she said she was ‘really happy’ with her performances.

Hopkin, part of the British team which won gold in the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay at Tokyo 2020, said: “It feels amazing. I think that might be quicker than what I did last year at trials to qualify for the Olympics. So the fact that this year it hasn't been the main focus and we've not been fully tapered, it bodes really well for the summer.

“That gives me a lot of confidence moving forward. You just have to take one event at a time. Worlds is first, so it'll be taper for Worlds, go for that and then we have three weeks before Commies, so that'll be the biggest point, how we transition from one to the next - and then Europeans after that. That might just be see what we have left.

“It's going to be tough, I've never done three majors in a row, but it's going to be a good learning experience. Getting as much racing as we can is never going to be a bad thing.”

Hopkin also praised her past and present coaches – Neil Harper and now Mel Marshall – for giving her ‘belief and confidence’ as she targets another big year on the world stage.

She added: “We have such a good group at Loughborough. It's a small group, but everyone in there is really motivated, works really hard but we have a lot of fun as well.

“I think Mel and my previous coach Neil are probably the most motivational people I've had in a leadership role. That has helped a lot with my belief and confidence – that's something I struggled with before. I feel a lot more confident in myself now.” 

University of Stirling’s Lucy Hope was the bronze medallist in the two-length contest.

A dominant display from Loughborough National Centre’s James Wilby saw him cruise to the Men’s 200m Breaststroke title in the final event of the evening.

Commonwealth Games champion Wilby led from start to finish and was victorious by 2.69 seconds as he achieved a Birmingham 2022 consideration time on his way to victory, two days on from a new personal best in the 50m event. 

Wilby said: “I'd had enough rest to put in some fast swims, but our priority is we want to swim fast because it's the first time we've done something fast since the summer, but at the same time, it's a shortened cycle between now and World Champs. 

“So it's not a full rest because we can't afford to have that time of getting back to it. So it's basically a little dip in the training load to get us swimming fast here.”

Wilby added that the team ethos at British Swimming was helping everyone to achieve more. He said: “Throughout the past five years, it's really done wonders because you have this group mentality, we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and dreams.

“So when we come together and push together, we achieve more. Certainly when someone is a bit knocked back, there's that team, from the actual sports support staff, to provide them with what they truly need, as well as the athletes and the other staff who are just there to help carry them along and help them to achieve what they know they can achieve.

“It's hard to explain without you being really immersed in it, but it's certainly what allows us as a nation to punch above our weight category in terms of size of nation to medals, we do well. That's probably a significant contributing factor, that synergy that we have developed."

There was a thrilling battle for second and third place with Plymouth Leander’s Adam Chillingworth and Loughborough National Centre’s Gregory Butler neck and neck as they raced for the wall. Chillingworth just got the touch to take the silver ahead of bronze medallist Butler.

Katie Shanahan’s late surge saw her claim a maiden senior British title in the Women’s 200m Backstroke.

The City of Glasgow swimmer was more than half a second adrift in second place with 50m to go but timed her charge for the wall to perfection to top the podium.

She touched 0.59 seconds ahead of her compatriot Holly McGill (Heart of Midlothian), who also produced a fantastic finish to take the silver from the early pacesetter Honey Osrin. Loughborough University’s Osrin had led at 50m, 100m and 150m but couldn’t hold off a determined Shanahan, who said: “I'm really happy with that. That's my first senior national title. I knew I had to put on a good race with the girls because I knew they'd come back strong. 

“That's two in the bag now (Commonwealth Games consideration times). I'm really happy and excited so hopefully I'll be selected for the team. I definitely could see all the girls coming for me. That last 5m, I tried to hold my ground and push as hard as I could to the wall, because Hollie is such a good talent, she got a massive PB there. 

"It's so good to have everyone here. My mum is up there in the stands, I'm sure everyone else's mums and dads are too, and all my teammates behind me so it's so good to have the crowd back. It really helps me, coming down that back 50m especially. For Commies as well, it will be great for the Home Nations - I'm sure everyone will be behind all of us.”

James Guy sealed his second gold medal of the week and the 20th British Swimming Championships title of his glittering career as he cruised to the Men’s 100m Butterfly crown.

After winning the 200m gold on day two of the championships, Guy looked in contention for achieving a World Championships consideration time after going out faster in the first 50m of the race than he had done in the morning’s heats.

However, he was narrowly outside that time as he topped the podium ahead of his Bath National Centre team mate Jacob Peters and City of Manchester Aquatics’ Jamie Ingram, who were second and third respectively.

Guy said: “I think, compared to this morning, I over-revved a bit - it was more in the first half. I probably got a bit excited at the front and haven't quite the speed I'd like to have. But it's just finding that balance of where you are. It's very similar to last year at trials, I was 51.4 and then dropped 0.5 at Europeans a month later. 

“It wasn't a bad swim, I'd have liked to have gone a bit faster but it's job done. Trials is to get the ticket and move forward.”

Click here for all the results from day four of the British Swimming Championships 2022 - and catch up on info from every day of the meet with our 'What's On?' page here.