Mildred sets new best time in busy qualifying session

13 Aug 2022

Britain's swimmers are set for a busy third evening of finals at the European Aquatics Championships in Rome after another solid session of heat performances.

On a pacey morning at the Foro Italico - in part due to the poor weather, which led to over-the-top/flying starts in a bid to get the events done quickly - four events saw two Brits apiece qualify for the next stage, including the Men's 100m Butterfly.

In that one, Bath Performance Centre athlete Ed Mildred produced a well-executed swim to clock a new personal best of 52.19 and move through to the semi-finals as the seventh seed. Behind him, fellow Bath man Jacob Peters came back from his medal-winning effort as part of the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay quartet on Friday night to secure his qualification as 12th seed. Mason Wilby, whose focus is the 200m event, was 37th overall.

Reflecting on his swim, Mildred said: "It's a PB, you'll always take one of those. Just to get myself a second swim is really good, I'm buzzing with that. I moved programme this year, down to the Bath Performance Centre, training with David McNulty. It's been a tough season with all the changes, but I'm so happy it's starting to pay off now." 

Another event to see a double GB progression was the Women's 400m Individual Medley, with Freya Colbert and Katie Shanahan booking a lane apiece for Saturday night's final.

Colbert and Shanahan have both already been on the podium in Rome, Freya as part of the Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay and Katie after a memorable silver in the 200m Backstroke. Both produced controlled heats swims to ensure they will be part of another medal showdown, with Colbert starting well over the opening butterfly leg and keeping herself well lodged behind the three-strong breakaway pack at the front.

Shanahan, meanwhile, built into the race and finished fast on the freestyle to touch just behind her compatriot in the heat. Freya was ultimately fifth seed into the final, with Katie seventh. 

Lauren Cox backstroke Birmingham 2022
Lauren Cox

James Wilby and Greg Butler will line up in the semis of the Men's 200m Breaststroke after following each other into the wall in their heat, second and third respectively in that race enough to get them back as both look to build through the rounds, while Medi Harris and Lauren Cox will be back in the next round of the Women's 50m Backstroke. Harris was in fine form across the one-length sprint, qualifying fourth, while Cox is seeded 15th after the two-per-nation rule is applied.

Opening up the morning's action, the busy Freya Anderson took her place in the Women's 200m Freestyle semi-finals. Coming back from her bronze-medal performance in the 100m event the previous day, Freya got the job done to qualify eighth, with Millfield's Tamryn van Selm in 38th overall.

For more info on results, start lists and how to watch every session of swimming on the BBC, click here.