LEN, the governing body for aquatics in Europe, have now confirmed that the 2022 European Junior Open Water Championships will take place from 3rd-5th June in Setubal, Portugal.
Following consultations with the Performance Implementation Group and British team selectors, British Swimming will regrettably no longer be selecting a team to attend this event.
With the Championships taking place only eight weeks after the confirmation of date and venue - and before the allocated selection races at the Swim Wales Challenge Series later in June - it was felt that a fair and objective team selection process is not possible, in line with the approach detailed within our selection policy for the event.
British Swimming remains dedicated to the development of the next generation of marathon swimmers through relevant competition opportunities, and ensuring its original selection process, which has been designed to be both competitive and transparent, is followed.
A British junior team will still be selected from the Swim Wales Challenge Series Open Water meet at Llandegfedd Reservoir on 19th June, with this team going on to compete at the LEN Open Water Cup in Barcelona, Spain on 24th September. The selection policy will be amended accordingly and published early next week.
Kevin Renshaw, British Swimming's Performance Pathway and Distance Lead for Olympic swimming, said: "This was a very difficult decision to make, especially given the limited competition opportunities that have been available over the past two years. However, the short turnaround between the confirmation of dates and the competition itself meant it would not have been right for us to select a team, in line with a selection policy that is carefully put together to ensure a fair and competitive selection.
"I am still really looking forward to seeing how our junior and senior marathon swimmers get on at Llandegfedd in June. From there, the junior team we select will get a hugely valuable experience at the Open Water Cup event in Barcelona. The LEN Open Water Cup has provided many British marathon swimmers down the years with rewarding race experiences against international competitors - and that meet will again be an important marker for our young athletes, in the water and around the competition experience too."