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Laura Stephens: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming<\/p><\/div>\n

Stephens came into Glasgow without having yet booked a trip to Tokyo following the British trials and then the European Championships in Budapest.<\/p>\n

She won gold in Hungary in the women’s 4×100 medley relay, was sixth in the 200 fly in 2:09.42 and just missed out on the final of the 100.<\/p>\n

It meant that Glasgow represented all or nothing in her bid to make her first Olympics and one she responded to in a manner that spoke of mental strength and the ability not to be physically drained by nerves.<\/p>\n

Stephens – who celebrated turning 22 on Wednesday – split 29.04\/1:01.97\/1:34.15\/2:07.04, a time that would have won silver in Budapest.<\/p>\n

It also sent her 1.28 inside the consideration time of 2:08.32.<\/p>\n

Alys Thomas<\/strong> (2:10.51) – already Tokyo-bound – and Keanna MacInnes<\/strong> (2:10.54) followed Stephens into the final.<\/p>\n

2021 Rankings<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:05.44; Zhang Yufei (CHN), Chinese National Championships<\/p>\n

2:06.50; Boglarka Kapas (HUN), European Championships<\/p>\n

2:06.68; Hali Flickinger (USA), TYR Pro Swim Mission Viejo 2021<\/p>\n

2:07.03; Yu Liyan (CHN), Chinese National Championships<\/p>\n

2:07.04; Laura Stephens (GBR), British Swimming Glasgow Meet<\/p>\n

The British Swimming selection policy<\/a> states:<\/p>\n

“Further consideration, subject to clauses 4.1, 4.2 and 5.8 will be given to athletes recording a time equal or better to the Table 1 time in the final (or senior \u2018A\u2019 final \/ final containing the fastest qualifiers for those meets with more than one final) at one of the designated consideration meets listed in Table 2.<\/p>\n
“Achieving a time inside or equal to a Table 1 time does not guarantee a nomination.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It continues:<\/p>\n
“The GB Head Coach in consultation with the NPD shall use the consideration meets to assist their decision making however, performances at the consideration meets will only be used as a guide.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
By the detail of that policy it would seem that Stephens may have to again go inside 2:08.32 in Saturday morning’s final.<\/p>\n
However, given they are all consideration times – rather than straight qualification marks – it means Stephens has firmly thrown her hat in the ring.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the policy was drawn up before the April trials when the Mare Nostrum<\/strong> legs in Canet<\/strong> and Barcelona<\/strong> were also due to be consideration meets as well as the Tollcross competition which was initially scheduled for 28-30 May.<\/p>\n
All will become clear by Tuesday 8 June when the final nominations are made.<\/p>\n
Jay Lelliott<\/strong> headed the men’s heats in 1:58.55 ahead of Ed Mildred<\/strong> (1:58.88) and Jacob Greenow<\/strong> (2:03.09).<\/p>\n
Kurle Makes His Case<\/h3>\n
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Cameron Kurle; Photo Courtesy: Singapore Swimming Federation<\/p><\/div>\n
The men’s 200 free has enormous strength in depth in Britain with 1:47.93 the cut-off for the final at the British trials.<\/p>\n
The two individual places were secured by Duncan Scott<\/strong> and Tom Dean<\/strong> who hit 1:44.47 and 1:44.58 respectively at the British trials with the pair one-two in the rankings as the latter bypassed 1:45 entirely.<\/p>\n
Kurle – who shares a flat with Scott – split 24.82\/51.44\/1:18.78\/1:46.62 to qualify first for the final and put his name into the reckoning for the 4×2.<\/p>\n
Joe Litchfield<\/strong> (1:47.04) and Calum Jarvis<\/strong> (1:48.10) were next swiftest with Dean, Scott, James Guy<\/strong>, Jacob Whittle<\/strong> and Matt Richards<\/strong> completing the field in 1:49.05.<\/p>\n
Lucy Hope<\/strong> – who left Budapest with four gold relay medals – produced the sole sub-2min swim in the women’s race, booking lane four in 1:59.08.<\/p>\n
Tamryn van Selm<\/strong> (2:01.01) and European individual bronze medallist Freya Anderson<\/strong> (2:01.03) were next through.<\/p>\n
Peaty And Renshaw Lead The Way<\/h3>\n
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Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming<\/p><\/div>\n
Ross Murdoch<\/strong> had the fastest time of 59.93 after three of the four 100 breaststroke heats with Peaty to come.<\/p>\n
The Olympic champion – who completed the quadruple-quadruple at the recent European Championships – split 27.45\/31.55 to secure lane four in 59.00.<\/p>\n
Murdoch booked lane five with European bronze medallist James Wilby<\/strong> third in 1:00.38.<\/p>\n
Renshaw and Sarah Vasey<\/strong> filled the 100 breaststroke slots at the April trials and it was the former – who set a British record of 1:06.21 in Budapest – who set the pace in the second heat, establishing more than a metre lead at halfway and stretching away on the second 50 to touch in 1:07.43.<\/p>\n
Vasey, who won the 50br on Friday morning, touched first in the final heat in 1:07.94 to book lane five alongside Renshaw.<\/p>\n
Wood Makes Rare Foray; Litchfield On Pole<\/h3>\nThe first heat of the 400IM featured Wood – f resh from her 2:09.24 in the 200IM<\/a> as she once more rattled the rankings in Friday’s morning’s finals – and Miley, whose trials preparations were disrupted by injury.<\/p>\n
Wood – who has a best of 4:37 but very rarely races in the long medley – set the fastest time of 4:38.20.<\/p>\n
There is still a spot available on the team alongside Aimee Willmott<\/strong> with 4:36.68 the time required, Miley through in 4:43.18 to give herself a final chance of booking a trip to her fourth Olympics.<\/p>\n
Willmott didn’t appear for the second heat which was won by Katie Shanahan<\/strong> in 4:49.29, the European silver medallist recovering after the 200IM final in which she was third.<\/p>\n
Max Litchfield<\/strong> dominated the men’s race, the European bronze medallist more than four seconds clear in 4:16.35.<\/p>\n
Mark Szarenek<\/strong> (4:20.64) and Charlie Hutchison<\/strong> (4:22.76) were next home.<\/p>\n
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Grace Harvey: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming<\/p><\/div>\n
In the para-swimming<\/strong> events, the women\u2019s MC 100m breaststroke final looks set to be an intriguing one on Saturday morning, with Grace Harvey (SB5)<\/strong> lowering her British record to 1:41.79.<\/p>\n
SB6 duo Maisie Summers-Newton<\/strong> and Ellie Simmonds<\/strong> also clocked solid times in their respective heats.<\/p>\n
Scott Quin<\/strong> again went under his Paralympic consideration mark in the men\u2019s contest, qualifying fastest ahead of Conner Morrison<\/strong>, who is just back from the World Para Swimming European Open Championships in Madeira.<\/p>\n
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