Double Olympic silver medallist James Guy secured his fourth gold medal of the British Swimming Championships after winning the 200m Freestyle.
The final saw a world class field facing up to Guy (National Centre Bath) but it was Duncan Scott that took on the World Champion throughout the four lengths of the pool.
Scott (University of Stirling) and Guy were stroke for stroke throughout but it was the World Champion that sealed the win on the touch on the final night in Sheffield.
Guy touched in a time that puts him in contention for the World Championships.
“I really wanted that one,” Guy said. “It’s kind of my event. The time was ok but it’s the end of a long week and I didn’t feel as sharp as the 100m Fly. But it’s a nice way to finish the championships.
“I’m glad for Duncan and Calum [Jarvis] but it’s a tough field and I think everyone did a great job and it was a fast final. It’s a good sign for the relay for later in the year too."
- James Guy - Men's 200m Freestyle British Champion
“I knew Duncan would be up there but I didn’t think he would be that close. I saw him at the 100m and I thought ‘mmm ok he’s with me’ so I focused on coming back as hard as I could. It was a good swim from him.”
Scott also swam to a consideration time for Budapest after winning silver in a new personal best time of 1:45.80 with Jarvis (National Centre Bath) winning the bronze.
The 100m Breaststroke was one of closest races of the day as five athletes stood within grasp of the British title.
Over the first 50m it was Imogen Clark (National Centre Loughborough) that touched first but Sarah Vasey (National Centre Loughborough) showed her strength in the final 50 to take the win.
Vasey touched in a new personal best time of 1:06.78 which puts her in contention for the World Championships in the summer.
“All of the girls have been swimming amazingly this week especially in the Breaststroke,” Vasey said. “I knew it was going to be a tough final and a battle but I just wanted to come out on top.
“I knew I had natural speed because I came second in the 50m Breaststroke so I knew I could go out hard and then all the work I’ve been doing has been about the back end so I just had to trust in the work I had done with Mel [Marshall]."
- Sarah Vasey - Women's 100m Breaststroke British Champion
“In the centre you are in an environment where everyone wants the same thing and I think it makes a huge difference. I’m a student too but I’m there to swim and I think being in that environment with Olympians has got to rub off on you.”
Olympic silver medallist Siobhan-Marie O’Connor took the silver after also meeting the consideration time for Budapest. The bronze went to British 200m Breaststroke Champion Jocelyn Ulyett.
Ben Proud (Plymouth Leander) swam to a new British Record in the 50m Butterfly after getting off to a strong start in the race.
Proud kept his head down and powered through the pool to touch in a time of 22.80.
“After last night I had nothing to lose so I thought just go into this final and swim as well as I can,” Proud said. “Unlike the Freestyle I didn’t have much practice going into it but it’s something I’m going to work on as we move towards Budapest.
“The Butterfly is about letting your body rest and relax and it was good here but hopefully with some more training and practice we can move it on.
- Ben Proud - Men's 50m Butterfly British Champion
“The big thing for this year is always the World Championships and these are the stepping stones to that. But I am definitely looking forward to that now and after these swims I can go into it with a bit more confidence.”
Adam Barrett (Loughborough University) swam to the silver medal and Robert Fannon (Plymouth Leander) won the bronze.
Swansea Aquatics’ Alys Thomas lowered her personal best time on her way to winning the gold medal in the 100m Butterfly.
She got off to an excellent start and reached the turn first and held off the charge from Loughborough University’s Charlotte Atkinson and Rachael Kelly to touch in a time of 57.85.
“It feels really good to have won that here,” Thomas said. “I’ve worked my way up from bronze to silver to gold and that’s great. I was pretty surprised with that time. We’ve had a really solid block of work in Swansea. We’ve really been working hard and I think that’s all just come together at the right time.”
Atkinson won the silver and Kelly took the bronze medal.
The 200m Backstroke saw Luke Greenbank (National Centre Loughborough) retain his British title with a swim that saw him hold a big lead over the rest of the field.
Greenbank swam a strong first 50m and extended his lead in the final 50m to touch first and secure the gold medal.
“I’m pleased to have won the race but I am a little disappointed with the time,” Greenbank said. “I’ve been working on the back end of my race in training and I’ve just got to control it out and then pick it up towards the end. I think I was just a bit too steady out there.”
He beat Calum Barrett (Loughborough University) and Joseph Hulme (National Centre Bath) to second and third place respectively.
Matthew Domville (Warrington Warriors) won the Target Tokyo final of the 50m Butterfly ahead of Thomas Sinclair (Bath University) and Leon Berchie (Hillingdon).
The opening Junior final of the evening was won by Cameron Brooke-Clarke (City of Sheffield) as he touched the wall first in the 50m Butterfly. Lewis Burras (Southport) finished second with Max McCusker (Millfield) touching in third place.
The Target Tokyo final of the 100m Butterfly saw Amelia Clynes (City of Leeds) score the win after touching the wall first followed by Isobel Grant (City of Sheffield) and Tain Bruce (Edinburgh University).
Keanna Macinnes (Heart of Midlothian) secured the win in the Junior final of 100m Butterfly after beating off the challenge of Alicia Wilson (Guildford City) and Ciara Schlosshan (City of Leeds).
Loughborough University’s Daniel Hall won the Target Tokyo final of the 200m Backstroke.
Brodie Williams (Millfield) concluded his successful British Swimming Championship campaign by winning the Junior final of the 200m Backstroke. He beat James McFadzen (Wycombe District) and Charlie Hutchison (Ellesmere College) to the gold.
It was Katie Matts (Stockport Metro) that secured the win on the touch in the Target Tokyo final of the 100m Breaststroke. She touched just ahead of Beth Aitchison (Loughborough University) and Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh University).
South Ayrshire’s Katie Roberthson took the victory in the 100m Breaststroke Junior Final after finishing ahead of Annabel Guye-Johnson (RTW Monson) and Angharad Evans (West Suffolk).
Olympian Timothy Shuttleworth won the Target Tokyo final of the 200m Freestyle after being challenged through the final 50m by Jarvis Parkinson (London Aquatics) and Daniel Jones (Swansea Aquatics).
Elliot Clogg (City of Sheffield) closed the curtains on his successful competition with gold in the Junior final of the 200m Freestyle. Clogg stormed to the win ahead of Luke Turley (Hatfield) and Harrison Coulter (Stockport Metro).