A 25-strong British Swimming team has been selected to compete at this summer’s FINA World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, the event taking place from 12-28 July.
Defending world champions Adam Peaty, Ben Proud, Duncan Scott, Calum Jarvis and James Guy headline the team, which boasts a great mix of youth and seasoned championship performers. Making their senior international debuts this summer will be the University of Stirling’s Scott McLay and Plymouth Leander’s Laura Stephens, after the pair delivered lifetime bests at the British Swimming Championships last week, which doubled up as the selection meet for Gwangju.
Two years ago in Budapest Adam Peaty stole the show, winning both the 100m Breaststroke and 50m Breaststroke, and he will look to secure a hat-trick of double golds in the Far East this summer. Ben Proud was also a double medallist in Hungary, taking gold and bronze in the 50m Butterfly and 50m Freestyle respectively, whilst Guy, Jarvis and Scott formed part of the World Championship winning Men’s 4x200m Freestyle relay team.
Commenting on the selections for the 2019 edition, British Swimming National Performance Director, Chris Spice, said:
“We had another great British Championships in Glasgow where we saw some exceptional individual performances from our established group of senior swimmers. In particular Duncan Scott, Adam Peaty, James Wilby, Max Litchfield and Ross Murdoch continued to show their class. And of course, who could forget the brilliant 1500m Freestyle swim from Dan Jervis that had everybody on their feet and really set the Championships alight.
“The selectors were also pleased to see that some younger athletes have grabbed the opportunity that we gave them at last year’s Europeans to step up and make this team. We saw superb lifetime bests from Luke Greenbank, Tom Dean, Anna Hopkin and Jess Fullalove, that really built on those performances from last year. As we look towards Tokyo, the challenge now for the whole team is to move this on in the summer and swim a season’s best under the spotlights in Gwangju.”
With a top 12 finish in relay events securing a spot at next summer’s Olympic Games, Spice added:
“In terms of our discretionary selections, this year a key consideration was the need to qualify our relays for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, whilst resting those relay athletes that could have large schedules in Gwangju. Having said that, the stand out swim from this category was Laura Stephens in the 200m Butterfly, who just missed the World’s individual consideration time by 0.05%, so she fully deserves her inclusion.
“Now that the team is finalised we will head to a team preparation camp in June, with all athletes and staff getting together for two legs of the Mare Nostrum series in Canet and Barcelona. We have also been fortunate to secure our pre-World’s holding camp in Yokohama this year, which will also form a dress rehearsal for our preparations for Tokyo 2020.”
On the prospect of making his senior debut in South Korea, Scott McLay commented:
“I’m over the moon! This was one of my targets at the beginning of the season and the fact I’ve been able to achieve that shows that my hard work in the pool has paid off. I’m looking forward to going even faster at Worlds now and it gives me the confidence that the work I’m doing will carry forward to next year, which has always been the target.”
The British Swimming team for the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju:
Adam Peaty, England, National Centre Loughborough
Dan Jervis, Wales, Swansea University
Max Litchfield, England, National Centre Loughborough
Duncan Scott, Scotland, University of Stirling
James Wilby, England, National Centre Loughborough
The athletes above gained selection after they won their event and achieved the qualification standard at the British Championships 2019 as per Table 1 of the selection policy.
Ben Proud, England, Plymouth Leander
Ross Murdoch, Scotland, University of Stirling
Luke Greenbank, England, National Centre Loughborough
James Guy, England, National Centre Bath
Georgia Davies, Wales, Loughborough University
Alys Thomas, Wales, Swansea University
Molly Renshaw, England, National Centre Loughborough
Freya Anderson, England, Ellesmere College
Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, England, National Centre Bath
Aimee Willmott, England, University of Stirling
Tom Dean, England, National Centre Bath
Calum Jarvis, Wales, National Centre Bath
The athletes above gained selection after they achieved the consideration time as per Table 2 of the selection policy (individual and relay).
Cameron Kurle, England, National Centre Bath
Nick Pyle, England, Newcastle
Holly Hibbott, England, Stockport Metro
Georgia Coates, England, National Centre Bath
Scott McLay, Scotland, University of Stirling
Jess Fullalove, England, National Centre Bath
Anna Hopkin, England, Ealing
Laura Stephens, England, Plymouth Leander
The athletes above gained selection at the discretion of the GB Head Coach and National Performance Director. The criteria for these decisions included the need to qualify relay teams for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games; provision of relay cover and alternates to rest key athletes that have large schedules; potential to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team; individual performances over the last 12 months and performances at the 2019 British Swimming Championships.
Coaches selected to the British team for the 2019 World Championships:
Euan Dale, Millfield School
Jol Finck, National Centre Bath
Dave Hemmings, National Centre Loughborough
Mel Marshall, National Centre Loughborough
David McNulty, National Centre Bath
Steven Tigg, University of Stirling
For the World Championships selection policy click here