British Swimming Picks Five Nominees For Inaugural Swimmer of the Year Award

LONDON – Five Commonwealth Games champions are in the running for the first-ever British Swimming Athlete of the Year award, which will honor the swimmer who had the most successful year in the pool — not an easy feat in a year that saw British athletes clean up at the European championships and Commonwealth Games.

Though 12 British athletes won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and European championships, the public can only choose from five nominees (VOTE HERE). These five won a combined 11 medals at the Commonwealth Games and 10 more at the European championships to give their country one of the best years in recent history. In fact, Great Britain’s 27 medals (11 gold, eight silver and eight bronze) was the most won at European championships, the first time Team GB has stood at the top of that meet’s medal table. The winner will be announced December 16.

Nominees:

Jazz Carlin: 800 free gold, 400 free silver at Commonwealth Games; 400 and 800 free gold at European championships

Fran Halsall: 50 free and 50 fly gold at Commonwealth Games, where she swam fastest time in textile in 50 free; 50 free and 50 back gold, 50 fly bronze at European championships

Ross Murdoch: 200 breast gold, 100 breast bronze at Commonwealth Games; 100 and 200 breast silver at European championships

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor: 200 IM gold, 100 fly and 200 free silver at Commonwealth Games

Adam Peaty: 100 breast gold, 50 breast silver at Commonwealth Games; 50 and 100 breast gold at European championships, including world record of 26.62 in 50 breast semis

The Athlete of the Year award will replace the annual honor given out by the British Olympic Association, which picks the top athlete from each of the Olympic sport. According to the announcement on British Swimming’s website, three other awards will make their debut this year: junior athlete of the year, marathon (open water) swimmer of the year and junior marathon swimmer of the year. Those three awards will be voted on by British Swimming and announced on December 16.

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