British Trials, Day 6 Finals: Ollie Morgan Edges Out Luke Greenbank To Clinch Backstroke Double, Both Inside Paris Cut

Ollie Morgan: Photo Courtesy: Morgan Harlow

British Trials, Day 6 Finals: Ollie Morgan Edges Out Luke Greenbank To Clinch Backstroke Double, Both Inside Paris Cut

Ollie Morgan touched out Luke Greenbank by 0.12 following a late surge as he added the 200 back to his 100 title at the Aquatics Centre in London.

Morgan lowered the British 100 back record to 52.70 as he sliced 0.03 from Liam Tancock’s mark that had stood since the World Championships in July 2009.

He returned for the four-length event and came back at Olympic bronze medallist Greenbank in the final 15m to take the touch in 1:56.27 to 1:56.39 as both men went inside the Paris qualification time of 1:57.28.

Brodie Williams was third in 1:57.02.

Morgan said:

“I think I was slightly more relaxed, there wasn’t that pressure of not having made the Olympics already and made the team.

“It certainly took the pressure off the whole of the week and just let me relax and get into that mindset of going fast in the 2.

“It certainly worked really well: I’ve come away with a big lifetime best again.

“And it’s looking really good now for the summer.”

Greenbank added world silver at Budapest 2022 to Olympic bronze over four lengths although he didn’t qualify for Fukuoka worlds last year.

He told Swimming World:

“To be honest, I think not making the team last year was a blessing in disguise in a weird kind of way.

“it just gave me the opportunity to take a step back and realise I was kind of in this bubble where swimming was everything.

“Actually, a week out of the water, two weeks out of the water, I realised there’s more to life than swimming.

“That’s the kind of mentality I had over the last 12 months. Just kind of having that escape and realisation and perspective has been really useful going into training and just keeping a steady head.

“When I had my break I had the opportunity to go out to Zambia and do some charity work out there with Sporting Action, a charity that Mel has worked with in the past.

“I really enjoyed that, it gave me a little bit of a purpose outside swimming and I hope to do some work with them in the future as well.

“That was amazing: something I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do if I didn’t take that break.

“But having said that, I got in around last June, got back in the water, and it gave me the opportunity to have a steady build and then really focus on this year and make the most of the opportunities that I’ve got.”

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