{"id":526923,"date":"2023-04-06T01:27:51","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T08:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=526923"},"modified":"2023-04-06T08:49:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T15:49:07","slug":"live-british-championships-day-3-heats-scott-dean-hopkin-take-to-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/live-british-championships-day-3-heats-scott-dean-hopkin-take-to-the-water\/","title":{"rendered":"British Championships, Day 3 Heats: Matt Richards Takes Maiden Voyage Inside 48 With Welsh 100 Free Record Of 47.72; 2nd All-Time In Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"

British Championships, Day 3 Heats: Matt Richards Takes Maiden Voyage Inside 48 With Welsh 100 Free Record Of 47.72; Goes 2nd All-Time In Britain<\/h4>\n

Matt Richards<\/strong> went inside 48 for the first time with a Welsh record of 47.72 to head the field in the 100 free at the British Championships<\/strong> in Sheffield and go second all-time in Britain.<\/p>\n

It was a hefty PB for the 20-year-old, who cut 0.51secs from his previous mark of 48.23 that he swam at the Olympic selection meet in April 2021 and then in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

The Millfield swimmer split 23.02\/24.70 and was the only man inside 48 with Jacob Whittle<\/strong> next swiftest in 48.45, 0.03 ahead of Duncan Scott<\/strong> (48.48), Tom Dean<\/strong> clocked 48.52 with British record-holder Lewis Burras<\/strong> on 48.77.<\/p>\n

Joe Litchfield<\/strong> (49.08) Ed Mildred<\/strong> (49.41) and Jack McMillan<\/strong> (49.42) completed the top eight ahead of the afternoon heats.<\/p>\n

British Rankings All-Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

47.63; Lewis Burras; Budapest 2022<\/p>\n

47.72; Matt Richards; Sheffield 2023<\/p>\n

47.83; Tom Dean; Commonwealth Games 2022<\/p>\n

47.87; Duncan Scott; 2019 British Championships\/2021 Olympic selection trials<\/p>\n

48.11; Jacob Whittle, 2021 Olympic Games<\/p>\n

The qualification time for the Fukuoka worlds is 47.60 – inside the national standard of 47.63 – with the consideration at 48.05 and such is the depth in Britain that four men starting tonight’s final have done a 47.<\/p>\n

Scott has a pedigree over two lengths. Commonwealth bronze in 2022<\/a> came four years after gold in Australia<\/a> in the same year he was also the European silver medallist.<\/p>\n

And it was his British record of 47.87 that Burras lowered last year.<\/p>\n

Such is the quality in Britain that no-one can afford a slip-up or lapse in concentration in prelims.<\/p>\n

He said:<\/p>\n

“That’s the beauty of the events that me and Tom are now in. The 100 and 200 free, we’ve got good depth in that.<\/p>\n

“The 200 free since about 2015, it’s been really good depth but now we’re starting to see that in the 100 as well so that’s really positive.<\/p>\n

“It only benefits us for the relay as well.<\/p>\n

“There’ll be eight guys in that final and eight of them will be wanting to get on that 4×1 so I think that’s really exciting.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But it’s not only domestic waters the field is concerned with.<\/p>\n

I know that everyone single one of them inside that are in that final aren\u2019t just looking inside Britain, it\u2019s how do they perform on the international stage?<\/p>\n

“I think that\u2019s really exciting as well; not everyone\u2019s just closed tunnel on Britain, it\u2019s how do we compete internationally which is more important.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dean concurred, saying:<\/p>\n

“We saw a 47 this morning, we saw a bunch of 48s, it’s quicker already than it was last year and that’s a really good sign….people always say it’s good for the relays and it is good for the relays.<\/p>\n

“An event like this which I feel is following in the footsteps of the 4×2 with it being strong in British Swimming – I think that’s only a good sign.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He added:<\/p>\n

“I always go quicker in the evening than I do in the morning so I know that whatever I’ve done there I can move it on tonight.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Freya Colbert<\/strong> is the only swimmer to have so far clinched an outright slot for the World Championships in Fukuoka thanks to her performance in the 400IM on Tuesday with Katie Shanahan<\/strong>\u00a0(400IM) and\u00a0Freya Anderson<\/strong>\u00a0(200 free) having posted consideration times.<\/p>\n