Hector Pardoe<\/strong>, Leah Crisp<\/strong> and Amber Keegan<\/strong> have been named in British Swimming<\/strong>\u2019s marathon swimming team for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships<\/strong> in Fukuoka, Japan.<\/p>\n The trio were selected following performances at the Sardinia leg of the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup<\/strong> earlier this month, an event that saw all three athletes finish inside the top 20 of their respective 10km events \u2013 after the two-per-nation rule \u2013 to ensure their qualification for this year\u2019s major championships.<\/p>\n The event will be held at the Seaside Momochi Beach Park<\/strong> from 15-20 July and for Crisp and Keegan, it will be their maiden World Championships, as the pair continue their recent step into top-level open water marathon swimming.<\/p>\n Pardoe, who will compete at his second successive World Championships, a year after finishing 11th in Budapest.<\/p>\n it’s another step on the road to Paris 2024 for the 22-year-old, who had a difficult Olympic debut in Tokyo<\/strong> where he was hit by a stray elbow which left him with a deep cut above his eye and forced his withdrawal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Looking to Fukuoka, Pardoe said through British Swimming:<\/p>\n \u201cIt was amazing to qualify out in Sardinia for my second World Championships, and it\u2019s a huge boost of confidence going forwards for this summer and Paris 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cI had last raced open water at the European Championships 10 months prior to that, so it was nice to get back in and shake off the rust.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In addition to fighting for places and medals this summer, Fukuoka also represents an opportunity for athletes to qualify for Paris.<\/p>\n Keegan founded a not-for-profit organisation called Athlete Interactions<\/strong> that “aims to decrease stigma and increase action around mental health in elite sport.”<\/p>\n The City of Sheffield swimmer has herself experienced mental health issues as well as injury and being hit by a car.<\/p>\n She posted to social media:<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n