British Swimming Championships: Day One Finals Recap

British Swimming Championships: Day One Finals Recap

Full recap of day one finals at the 2017 British Swimming Championships in Sheffield, England featured Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke, Hannah Miley in the 400m IM, James Guy in the 400m freestyle, and a new British record from Imogen Clark in the 50m

Apr 18, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
British Swimming Championships: Day One Finals Recap

2017 British Swimming Championships

Sheffield, England
April 18 - April 23, 2017
​Prelims begin: 10 AM (4 AM CDT)
Finals begin: 6:30 PM (12:30 PM CDT)
LIVE RESULTS

Day one finals of the 2017 British Swimming Championships kicked off Monday night in Sheffield, England. The events on the docket were the men's 50m backstroke, women's 50m breaststroke, men's 400m freestyle, women's 400m IM, and the men's 100m breaststroke.

As you will notice, the British World Championships automatic qualifying times are extraordinarily fast -- often just out of reach. However, if a swimmer achieves a consideration time, he or she can still be selected on a case-by-case basis to be a member of Team GB at the World Championships this summer. This will likely be the case for the majority of the roster when all is said and done this week.

Men's 50m Backstroke
​British Record: 24.04 (Liam Tancock, GBR, 2009)
​European Record: 24.04 (Liam Tancock, GBR, 2009)

1.) Chris Walker-Hebborn -- 25.19
2.) Joe Elwood -- 25.70
3.) Craig McNally -- 25.80


​Chris Walker-Hebborn, ​a 2012 and 2016 Olympian, ​claimed the sprint backstroke crown with a 25.19. Walker-Hebborn, primarily a 100m backstroke specialist, has been on the scene for Team GB since 2009. He swam in the final of the 2015 World Championships (fifth, 53.02) and made the semifinals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio (11th, 53.75). ​Joe Elwood ​and ​Craig McNally​ rounded out the podium in 25.70 and 25.80, respectively.

Women's 50m Breaststroke
​British Record: 30.56 (Sophie Taylor, GBR, 2014)​ 30.21 (Imogen Clark, GBR, 2017)
​European Record: 29.48 (Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania, 2013)

1.) Imogen Clark -- 30.21 (British Record)
2.) Sarah Vasey -- 30.30
3.) Corrie Scott -- 31.00


​Imogen Clark ​stormed the women's 50m breaststroke in a new British record time of 30.21 -- the second-fastest time in the world this year behind ​Yulia Efimova's  ​29.88 from the Russian Nationals last week in Moscow. ​Sarah Vasey​ touched right behind Clark in 30.30, also under ​Sophie Taylor's​ previous record of 30.56 and good for the third-fastest time in the world this year. ​Corrie Scott​ rounded out the podium in third with a 31.00.

Women's 200m Freestyle
​British Record: 1:55.54 (Joanne Jackson, GBR, 2009)
​European Record: 1:52.98 (Federica Pellegrini, Italy, 2009)
British World Champs QT: 1:55.25
Consideration Time: 1:57.21

1.) Ellie Faulkner -- 1:57.88
2.) Kathryn Greenslade -- 1:59.39
3.) Jazz Carlin -- 1:59.59


​Eleanor Faulkner​ is the British champion in the women's 200m freestyle with a 1:57.88. In her post-race interview, Faulkner noted that she was "shocked" and had been trying to sneak under that 1:58 barrier for some time now. That time cracks the world top 20 this year. The 24-year-old Faulkner is a two-time Olympian for Team GB. In London she swam the 800m freestyle and in Rio, she swam the 200m freestyle, not making it out of the heats either time. ​Kathryn Greenslade ​touched for silver in 1:59.39 and ​Jazz Carlin​ rounded out the podium in third with a 1:59.59. Carlin is more of a 400m and 800m freestyle specialist, taking the silver medal in Rio in both of those events behind ​Katie Ledecky.

Men's 400m Freestyle
​British Record: 3:43.75 (James Guy, GBR, 2015)
​European Record: 3:40.07 (Paul Biedermann, Germany, 2009)
British World Champs QT: 3:43.84
Consideration Time: 3:47.16

1.) James Guy -- 3:44.74 (CT)
2.) Stephen Milne -- 3:46.16 (CT)
3.) Max Litchfield -- 3:46.20 (CT)


​James Guy, ​the 2015 world champion in the 200m freestyle, notched a top performance in the 400m freestyle in Sheffield with a strong 3:44.74 -- the fifth-fastest performance in the world in 2017. Guy finished sixth in this event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio with a 3:44.68 and will certainly be a medal contender in this event, along with the 200m, at this summer's World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. ​Stephen Milne​ touched second with a 3:46.16, under the World Champs consideration time, and ​Max Litchfield ​rounded out the podium only 0.04 of a second behind Milne in 3:46.20.

Women's 400m IM
​British Record: 4:31.33 (Hannah Miley, GBR, 2009)
​European Record: 4:26.36 (Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2016)
British World Champs QT: 4:34.08
Consideration Time: 4:37.67

1.) Hannah Miley -- 4:34.12 (CT)
2.) Aimee Willmott -- 4:36.82 (CT)
3.) Abbie Wood -- 4:37.25 (CT)


​Hannah Miley​, the current British record holder and​ fourth-place finisher in this event in Rio, unloaded a massive back half in the women's 400m IM in Sheffield to take the win in 4:38.12 -- just 0.04 of a second off the automatic qualifying time. Miley will certainly swim this event for Team GB at the World Championships, however. ​Aimee Willmott ​touched for silver in 4:36.82, and ​Abbie Wood​ rounded out the podium in third with a 4:37.25.

Men's 100m Breaststroke
​British Record: 57.13 (Adam Peaty, GBR, 2016)
​European Record: 57.13 (Adam Peaty, GBR, 2016)
British World Champs QT: 59.01
Consideration Time: 1:00.15

1.) Adam Peaty -- 57.79 (QT)
2.) Ross Murdoch -- 1:00.00 (CT)
3.) James Wilby -- 1:00.05 (CT)


​Adam. Peaty​. ​When this man is in the pool for the 100m breaststroke, the question is always: "How low can he go?" It is always a race against the clock. Peaty dropped a silky smooth 57.79 Monday in Sheffield -- certainly the No.1 time in the world this year. He got off to a little bit of a slow start, touching at the 50m mark in 27.01 -- 0.35 over his world record pace -- and brought it home in a 30.78. With that swim, Peaty now exclusively holds the top eight performances of all time. ​Ross Murdoch​ touched for silver in 1:00.00, and ​James Wilby ​snagged the bronze in 1:00.05.