The first World Aquatics Championships in three years provides an opportunity for a number of fresh faces to make an impression on the world stage for British Swimming.
The Great Britain swimmers have touched down in Budapest ahead of the FINA World Aquatics Championships, with the swimming programme diving into action on Saturday. A packed eight days of pool competition is on the schedule, taking place between 18th-25th June, meaning the 20-strong squad are preparing for what promises to be another competitive week of events.
The last edition of these Championships came back in 2019, with the British team having one of their most successful competitions to date out in Gwangju. With a total of seven medals won in Gwangju, many of the athletes involved in that success three years ago are ready to go again after picking up further unforgettable experiences in a record-breaking outing at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
Among the cohort of fresh faces to the World Championships stage for GB this year is Bath Performance Centre’s Jacob Peters. Fast swims and silver medals in both the 50m & 100m Butterfly events at the 2022 British Swimming Championships secured him a place on the plane for the competition, with the 21-year-old keen to make his mark following a productive period of preparation.
Catching up with the 2018 European champion prior to his departure for the World Championships, Peters had a lot to say regarding the block of training since the British Championships in April.
“Training has been going really well actually. I was in a little bit of a hole through adaptation but I’m coming out of it now. We started our taper a couple of weeks ago and I’m starting to feel really good," he said prior to travel to Hungary.
“We’re all buzzing and really looking forward to it. The mood here at Bath never really dips, we’re all focused on World Champs and love what we do.”
Having competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year - securing a 24th-place finish on what was his first appearance on the world stage - he also cited the benefits of partaking in such an event ahead of one of a similar calibre.
“I had a good Olympics, although it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. My take away from that is to believe in myself more and trust the process," added Jacob.
"I think the Olympics got to me a
bit, I wasn’t prepared as much as I could’ve been. I just need to trust my race
process and smash it now at Worlds."
He also described some clear targets that he has set himself for the meets ahead: “I’d like to consolidate a mid-51 for my 100m Butterfly, but the main aim is to just try to progress through the rounds. I’d love to get a final at Worlds, I think it’s doable and that I have got it in the bag. As for Commonwealths, I’d love to get as close to the medals as possible. If everything works out the way I want it to, that should be on the cards.”
Whatever the targets, Peters and others will be looking to make their mark during what will be an action-packed time at the Duna Arena.
New names on the British Swimming team include Lewis Burras, whose sensational performance in the 50m Freestyle at the British Championships kicked off what was a competition to remember, as well as Medi Harris and Freya Colbert, the young pair coming off the back of what has been an impressive year so far.
Look out for our in-depth World Championships preview - including information of how you can watch and listen to all the big moments from Budapest.