{"id":583614,"date":"2024-04-06T02:28:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-06T09:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=583614"},"modified":"2024-04-06T05:34:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T12:34:26","slug":"british-trials-day-5-prelims-ben-proud-takes-to-the-water-james-wilby-goes-in-200-breaststroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/british-trials-day-5-prelims-ben-proud-takes-to-the-water-james-wilby-goes-in-200-breaststroke\/","title":{"rendered":"British Trials, Day 5 Prelims: Ben Proud Posts 21.70 In 50 Free, James Wilby Heads 200 Breaststroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

British Trials, Day 5 Prelims: Ben Proud Takes To The Water, James Wilby Goes In 200 Breaststroke<\/h4>\n

Ben Proud<\/strong> went 21.70 in the 50 free as he made his entrance at the British trials as he begins his quest to book a place at his third Olympics.<\/p>\n

James Wilby<\/strong> was swiftest into the 200 breaststroke final in 2:12.29 ahead of Greg Butler<\/strong> who clocked 2:12.87 with the pair well clear of the rest of the field.<\/p>\n

Men’s 800m Freestyle<\/h3>\n

Sean McCann led the three slowest heats in 8:12.21 ahead of Arthur Logan (8:14.51) with the duo the sole men inside 8:20.<\/p>\n

Cameron Travis (8:21.30), Christian Duetoft (8:23.03), Ethan Kelly (8:23.12), Jude Liddiard (8:23.63), Hayden Annan (8:24,35) and Luke Booth (8:25.87) completed the top eight.<\/p>\n

Men’s 200m Breaststroke<\/h3>\n

Wilby booked lane four for the final in 2:12.29 alongside Greg Butler<\/strong> who clocked 2:12.87 with the Loughborough pair the only men inside 2:14.<\/p>\n

George Smith<\/strong> (2:14.70) and Archie Goodburn<\/strong> (2:14.92) were some way clear of the rest of the field, headed by Max Morgan<\/strong> who led four men home on 2:16.<\/p>\n

Morgan was on 2:16.04 ahead of Rory Dickson<\/strong> (2:16.46), Maxwell Anderson<\/strong> (2:16.49) and Harvey Freeman<\/strong> (2:16.70).<\/p>\n

Men’s 50m Freestyle<\/h3>\n

Proud is seeking a trip to his third Olympics after fourth at Rio 2016 and joint fifth in Tokyo five years later.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old has won every single title available to him – world and European long and short-course plus Commonwealth – bar the Olympics where he has fallen just short of the podium.<\/p>\n

He was the only man inside 22 on 21.70, matching the qualification time for Paris which he’ll have to reproduce in the final.<\/p>\n

Proud told Swimming World:<\/p>\n

“The game-plan coming into this meet was treat this heat as if it were an Olympics: what time we make it back and it’s going to be around that 21.8 you’ll be safe.<\/p>\n

“So the more I can rehearse that in the morning, without caffeine, without the right suits and everything, the better.<\/p>\n

“To be honest, it’s the cobwebs, it’s the nerves of the first race so I just wanted to get something done.<\/p>\n

“I’m pleased. Come back tonight – it’s not often we have this heats to final session – so just got to get straight after it and put in a good race tonight.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of using the prelim to get a feel for the water given he has had to wait until day five to compete, Proud added:<\/p>\n

“I don’t know what a 22.4 would have given me in terms of knowledge or confidence.<\/p>\n

“I swim my own race no matter where I am and here there was no time for a breath or anything like that.<\/p>\n

“I just have to really get these things finely tuned and I don’t have many opportunities to race in this condition up until the Games.<\/p>\n

“So every one is something I can learn from and I felt like nice, I felt comfortable.<\/p>\n

“Tonight is going to be a bit more nerve-wracking: I think you’re seeing – especially with the 100 fly last night – that nothing is guaranteed in the morning.<\/p>\n

“Lots of places are going missing and I have only got this one shot to get this Olympic position so I have to really justify my place and just put together a good race when I have to.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alexander Cohoon<\/strong> was millimetres from joining the 21 club in 22.00 with 100 champion Matt Richards next through in 22.14.<\/p>\n

Alexander Painter<\/strong> (22.28), David Cumberlidge<\/strong> (22.37), Lewis Burras<\/strong> (22.44), Jordan Cooley<\/strong> (22.47) and Calvin Fry<\/strong> (22.49) completed the field.<\/p>\n