Sheffield set for stunning British Champs finale

10 Apr 2022

One last morning of fast swimming was on show at Ponds Forge on Sunday as the British Swimming Championships builds towards an unmissable final session later in the day. 

The Men's 200m Freestyle will bring the meet to its traditionally entertaining close in the last final of the competition - but there is set to be plenty of other fast racing after the morning heats. 

Edinburgh University athlete Kara Hanlon swam from the front and came close to her personal best to lead the 100m Breaststroke qualifying, ahead of Olympian Sarah Vasey - who trains at the Loughborough National Centre - and Derventio's Imogen Clark, who won the 50m Breaststroke sprint on the opening evening at Ponds Forge. 

Double Olympic medallist Luke Greenbank laid down a marker in the heats of the Men's 200m Backstroke - the event that brought him an individual bronze at Tokyo 2020. Greenbank went more than two seconds faster than next qualifer Brodie Williams (Bath National Centre) to secure himself lane four and a great shot at a fifth British title over 200m. 

In the day's two butterfly events, Bath National Centre man Jacob Peters set an eye-catching new personal best of 23.61 to qualify fastest in the Men's 50m Butterfly, just ahead of former world champion Ben Proud. 

The Women's 100m Butterfly, meanwhile, looks likely to be a close contest across the middle of the pool. City of Cardiff's Harriet Jones led the way in the morning heats - but Laura Stephens (Loughborough National Centre), Keanna MacInnes (University of Stirling) and Tain Bruce (Edinburgh University) were all within 0.7 seconds of her time. 

Kara Hanlon in focus Katie Robertson nearside.jpg
Kara Hanlon

Then there is that much-anticipated Men's 200m Freestyle showpiece. The swimmers set for that final amassed a stunning seven golds and one silver medal between them, across individual and relay 200m Freestyle events, at last year's Tokyo Olympic Games. Duncan Scott - a part of that dominant Men's 4x200m Freestyle relay and an individual silver-medal winner - made yet another statement for the week by leading the heats times after a strong 150m was followed by a controlled, more relaxed pace into the wall.

Tom Dean, the Olympic 200m Freestyle champion, will be in lane three after a promising heats swim of his own, with Rio 2016 Olympian Cameron Kurle (University of Stirling) splitting the pair on the heats results after a brilliant four laps of the pool for a morning performance. What unfolds this evening is absolutely not to be missed, with James Guy, Calum Jarvis and Matt Richards - who all contributed to that Olympic relay success - also booking themselves a final spot.

Make sure to tune in to our Deep End Live coverage here from 6pm, with the fastest heat in the Women's 1500m Freestyle getting things underway. Before then, the afternoon heats session starts at 1pm, as the last of approximately 4,000 swims for the week unfold over the next few hours.

Full results and start lists from every session can be found here