A team of 37 young athletes will compete at the LEN European Junior Championships this week in what, for many, will be the first time they have flown the Union flag in international waters.
And British Swimming Head of Elite Development Tim Jones believes the event, held in Netanya, Israel from 28 June to 2 July, will fuel the aspirations of athletes as they work towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and beyond.
“We wanted to give opportunities to a large group of juniors to race internationally this year and this 37 strong group of athletes supports that aim,” explained Jones.
“I’m looking for the hidden gems within the programme and this event offers a great opportunity to unearth these. I want athletes to embrace what this important event has to offer and to use it to take their sport to the next level. I want it to inspire while unearthing some diamonds.”
Selection was earned at the British Swimming Championships in April and follows a strategy aimed at inspiring a generation of young athletes to commit to a journey towards Tokyo 2020 Olympic success by exposing them to high level junior international competition.
“This is a great opportunity for this group of athletes. We are at the beginning of an Olympic cycle and there is no reason why this talented group can’t put themselves into contention for the Tokyo games in 2020,” said Jones.
“The British team at the European Juniors in 2014 featured the likes of Duncan Scott, Holly Hibbott, Luke Greenbank and Rosie Rudin. They were in the same position then and successfully transitioned to the seniors. This year they will all compete at the World Championships and there is no reason why this group of athletes can’t push towards the senior team by the end of this cycle.”
Jones has tasked the group with adopting key national team principles and processes which he believes will help to deliver success over the five days of competition.
“We’re going to have lots of swimmers progressing through to finals and pushing towards the medals but the focus will be on the processes they need to follow and then I’m sure the results will come to us. The event is very much an education for these guys and reinforcing our national team processes is key.
“We are filling the events as much as we can with four athletes entered in many but only two will be able to progress into the semi-finals. It’s going to be a tough week as the standard of athletes is good but we have a team that has real strength and will be competitive.
“As a team we’ve discussed how they we are going to be judged at this event and it will be on our professionalism and how we apply the processes rather than the outcome. If we do that well we know the scoreboard will show us the right result.”
The British Swimming team selected for the European Junior Championships comprises (boys aged 15-18, girls aged 14-17):
Tom
Beeley
University of Aberdeen
Scotland
Kieran
Bird
Millfield School
England
Layla
Black
City of Leeds SC
England
Lily
Boseley
City of Sheffield
England
Connor
Bryan
City of Oxford SC
Wales
Harry
Constantine
Hatfield SC
England
Leah
Crisp
City of Leeds SC
England
Oliver
Crosby
Stockport Metro SC
England
Thomas
Dean
Maidenhead ASC
England
Harry
Devlin
York City Baths Club
England
James
Eddy
Wycombe District SC
England
Angharad
Evans
West Sufflolk Swimming Club
England
Anna
Fleming
City of Glasgow Swim Team
Scotland
Lewis
Fraser
City of Swansea
Wales
Jakob
Goodman
Millfield School
England
Jacob
Greenow
Taunton Deane SC
England
Phoebe
Griffiths
Ellesmere College Titans SC
England
Elizabeth
Harris
Stockport Metro SC
England
Isabel
Jones
Millfield School
Scotland
Jasmine
McCrea
Poole SC
England
James
McFadzen
Wycombe District SC
England
Scott
McLay
Perth City
Scotland
Laura
McNab
Team Bath AS
England
Amelia
Monaghan
City of Peterborough SC
England
Jahrel
Murphy
Ealing SC
England
Jessica
Podger
City of Bristol
England
Nicholas
Pyle
Newcastle Swim Team
England
Joshua
Reasbeck
Doncaster Dartes SC
England
Ryan
Retson
F.I.R.S.T
Scotland
Luke
Robins
Millfield School
Scotland
Ciara
Schlosshan
City of Leeds SC
England
Ellinor
Southward
Ellesmere College Titans SC
England
Isabel
Spinley
Deepings SC
England
Tony-Joe
Trett Oliver
Mount Kelly Swimming
England
Rachel
Wellings
City of Peterborough SC
England
Mason
Wilby
Loughborough Uni / University of Florida
England
Alicia
Wilson
Guildford City Swimming Club
England