Three Olympic champions are among the first athletes to be included in Team England’s swimming team for the home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer – with two Tokyo gold medallists already confirmed for Team Scotland too.
Ten swimmers have been announced in the initial Team England selection, including Adam Peaty, Anna Hopkin and Tom Dean, who all reached the top step of the Olympic podium for Team GB last summer. Luke Greenbank and James Wilby – who also claimed medals at the rescheduled 2020 Games – are part of the selected 10, which is completed by Max Litchfield, Abbie Wood, Ben Proud, Molly Renshaw and Alicia Wilson.
Every one of the 10 reached at least one individual final at Tokyo 2020, with Peaty and Dean clinching stunning golds in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke and Men’s 200m Freestyle respectively. They were also part of victorious relay efforts, with Peaty helping Britain’s quartet to a record-breaking triumph in the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay, which involved a brilliant anchor leg from Hopkin.
While Dean and Wilson will be gearing up for their Commonwealth debuts at the new, state-of-the-art Sandwell Aquatics come 28th July, the initial Team England selections can count 16 Commonwealth medals between them.
Speaking about the prospect of competing at his third Commonwealth Games, three-time Commonwealth champion Adam Peaty said: “It’s always a privilege to be selected to represent my country and I’m so excited about a home Commonwealth Games, especially one that is so close to the area I grew up in. Having the home crowd in the stands supporting us gives me even more motivation to perform my best and inspire those people watching. I can’t wait to represent Team England again!”
Second-time Team England athlete Abbie Wood added: “Before, with the Gold Coast I was just very happy to be selected for the team. I am this time too, of course, but in 2022, I feel like I'm ready to race and get among all the racing, rather than just being there for the ride.
"I'm in the middle of it now, I'm in the mix and I want to perform as well as I can in front of a home crowd, in front of my parents, who haven't seen me race since I have stepped it up. It's been a couple of years - maybe the last major meet they saw me at was the Commies, so it'll be nice for them to be a part of it and for me to show them how far I've come."
The England swimming team will be led at Birmingham 2022 by Mel Marshall, Head Coach for Team England a year on from a Tokyo Games that saw three of her athletes – in Peaty, Hopkin and Greenbank – on the Olympic podium.
Of that latest honour, Marshall said: “To be leading out the CWG England Team at a home Commonwealth Games is an incredible privilege, particularly off the back of an incredibly challenging two years for the nation. While it’s been the NHS’s job to take care of health over these last few years, its sports job to take care of hope.
“I hope to support and illuminate the people I am lucky enough to work with to shine some light for the Nation in what promises to be a fantastic games. To those who have given me this opportunity I thank you and it’s my promise to do you, this nation and its people proud.”
Team England’s Chef de Mission, Mark England OBE, welcomed the athletes to the team: “This is an exceptionally high calibre Swimming team to represent Team England at Birmingham this summer. Off the back of our first team announcement for Triathlon, we’re starting to build momentum towards Games time. It’s brilliant to announce such an experienced group of swimmers, with eight having competed at a Commonwealth Games before – and I look forward to the Swimming team building in the coming months.”
Last month, meanwhile, Team Scotland confirmed the first of their swimming squad chasing medals and memories at Birmingham 2022.
Duncan Scott and Kathleen Dawson both claimed maiden Olympic titles at Tokyo 2020 – Scott in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay, on the way to becoming Team GB’s most decorated Olympian ever at a single Games; and Dawson in the world-record-breaking Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay team.
Birmingham will bring a third Commonwealth Games appearance apiece for the University of Stirling duo, who train under Steve Tigg and Bradley Hay and are the first names on the Scotland swimming team.
Speaking at the time of his Scottish selection, Scott – who claimed an eye-opening six medals on the Gold Coast four years ago – said: “I am delighted to be selected for a third Commonwealth Games.
“We don’t get the chance to compete under the Scotland banner too often, and being part of the wider group at the last couple of Games has been great.
“It’s such a close-knit team and everyone knows each other – a lot of us have enjoyed success together in the past and shared those experiences.
“I’ve been really pleased with how this year has gone, and hopefully it will be another big one in 2022.”
Dawson added: “It’s an honour to be part of Team Scotland again. I was very young going into Glasgow in 2014, and even the Gold Coast feels a long time ago now.
“I’ve had injuries to overcome since then and obviously Covid disrupted everyone, but I’m stronger now than ever and looking forward to the Games next year.
“The summer was incredible, more than I could have hoped for, but with the Commonwealths following straight after it’s a chance to build on that success in Birmingham.”
Selection for para-swimmers and the remaining swimmers to compete for England, Scotland and Wales will be announced closer to the summer’s Games.
First 10 Team England swimmers selected
- Tom Dean
- Luke Greenbank
- Anna Hopkin
- Max Litchfield
- Adam Peaty
- Ben Proud
- Molly Renshaw
- James Wilby
- Alicia Wilson
- Abbie Wood
First two Team Scotland swimmers selected (selections made December 2021):
- Kathleen Dawson
- Duncan Scott