Daniel Fogg Dips Under 15 Minutes In 1500 Free to Close Out British Nationals

GLASGOW, Scotland, April 15. DISTANCE swimmers put on a show tonight at the Tollcross International Aquatic Center, closing out the British long course nationals with some impressive swims that rank high in the global standings.

After an impressive 800 free last night that put her at the top of the world standings, Jazz Carlin returned to post a 4:04.68 to win the 400 free, good enough for fifth in the world so far this year and second to a 4:04.56 from Australia’s Bronte Barratt as the top swims from Commonwealth athletes. Carlin just missed her personal best of 4:04.25 from last year’s world championship trials, where she posted incredible times but could not replicate them at the world championships.

Aimee Willmott and Eleanor Faulkner battled for the silver medal, with the two never more than a second apart through the race. Willmott was second with a 4:08.98 to Faulkner’s 4:09.69. Willmott’s time puts her just outside the top 20 global standings.

Daniel Fogg was looking to join the small club of swimmers who have broken 15 minutes in the 1500 freestyle so far this year, and barely became the fifth man in the club with a 14:59.86. He’s been much faster in his career, with a personal best 14:55.30 from the 2012 Olympics, but it marks his third time under the barrier. He didn’t meet the automatic qualifying time of 14:56.60 needed to get on England’s Commonwealth team, but additional criteria such as world rankings should get him the chance to race the Australians this summer.

Jay Lelliott was a distant second with a 15:12.70, while Jack Burnell took third with a 15:14.64.

In the meet’s final event, Daniel Jervis illustrated the term “racing the clock” as he separated from the field early and won the junior 1500 freestyle by 50 meters with a 15:16.46. The time should get Jervis on the junior European championship team, and would have placed fourth in the senior-level race. Archie Mitchell and Thomas Howley also made the junior mile exciting, with Mitchell finishing one hundredth of a second ahead of Howley, 15:48.83 to 15:48.84. Howley was ahead of Mitchell by two seconds at the 500 and eight tenths at the 1000.

Sprinters had a strong day today as well. Adam Brown remains the fastest man in Britain after holding off a challenge from Ben Proud in the 50 free final to win in 22.27 to Proud’s 22.31. Coincidentally, the two share the 18th-fastest time in the world, with Proud posting a 22.27 in February at the British University Championships. It wasn’t fast enough to earn an automatic bid to the English Commonwealth roster, as that time stood at 21.67. Richard Schafers was third in 22.65.

Lauren Quigley set an English record in the women’s 50 back, taking the title in 27.90 to beat the English record of 27.92 set by Gemma Spofforth in 2009. She just missed out on Georgia Davies’ British record of 27.80, which likely made Davies happy as she finished second with a 27.99. Fran Halsall, branching out into backstroke, was third with a 28.04.

Roberto Pavoni made it a sweep of the individual medleys, taking the 200 in 1:59.08. Pavoni sits eighth in the world with the swim, and was off the English qualifying time of 1:58.39. He should, based on being named to the team in the 400 IM, get the nod to swim the shorter IM in the same pool in July. Nearly breaking two minutes was Joe Roebuck with a runner-up time of 2:00.31, while Lewis Coleman was third with a 2:00.50 thanks to a surge on the freestyle leg.

Wrapping up the junior-level events at the meet, Georgia Coates took another distance freestyle title, swimming a 4:18.81 to win the 400 free. Jack Smith won the men’s 50 free with a 23.37, while Brittany Horton took the women’s 50 back in 30.06. Duncan Scott wrapped up an impressive meet with a 2:04.54 to win the men’s 200 IM.

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