GBR's Golden 4x200 Heroes Set For Paris Reunion With Next Wave As Dean Gets Thumbs Up
Great Britain has selected a squad of 36 for the European Championships in Paris this August, the line-up heavy on podium prospects, including Adam Peaty, who will make his return to European long-course waters after a six-year absence, and Tom Dean, despite injury
Tom Dean is headed for a Paris reunion with his fellow Great Britain 4x200m freestyle Olympic champions of Tokyo and Paris back in the French capital for the 2026 European Championships in August despite having missed trials last week due to a shoulder injury:
Craig Lord
Dean, the 2020ne Olympic 200m freestyle champion, is one of seven discretionary picks made by selectors when Aquatics GB named a 36-strong swimming team for the Paris showcase from August 10-16. His place in Paris will depend on him passing a fitness test nearer the time of departure.
The Aquatics GB Championships ended in London last Sunday with selections confirmed on the basis of the top-line criteria: up to the first two home inside the target times in solo events and up to four selected for relays of the times of the best four also summed up inside the targets for quartets.
The continental showcase will unfold two weeks after the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and will feature:
- the return to European-Championship waters (for the first time since 2020) of triple Olympic champion Adam Peaty, winner of the 100m breaststroke air the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020ne Games and silver at Paris 2014 - after he took gold in the 50 and 100m events at the championships in London:
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Craig Lord
Last time out, in 2020, Peaty claimed the 50 and 100m European titles. He has 16 continental long-course crowns to his name, including eight solo breaststroke titles and eight relay victories, 2014 to 2020.
- Dean alongside them, the next campaign of Olympic gold medalists Matt Richards, James Guy, Duncan Scott and Jack McMillan, the foursome who claimed the World 4x200m free title in Singapore last year and, respectively topped the 200m free at the championships.
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- The British backstroke battle led by Ollie Morgan, who claimed a 50-100-200 sweep at nationals, and Luke Greenbank, the 2020ne Olympic medallist denied a shot at returning to the podium in Paris 2024 when he was disqualified in the rounds for racing a touch beyond the 15m mark off the start:
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- A women's squad capable of picking up a string of honours: Angharad Evans and Freya Colbert will arrive "in exceptional form, having both delivered British record-breaking swims at the Aquatics GB Championships", as the federation puts it; and Abbie Wood, Lauren Cox and Freya Anderson, all medal prospects and part of a growing force on what selectors called an "upward trajectory of British women’s swimming". Evans' 100 and 200m breaststroke victories, Colbert's 200m free and Abbie Wood's 200m medley delivered the outstanding swims in the women's events at nationals:
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- Rising stars Filip Nowacki, Jacob Mills, Amalie Smith, and Theodora Taylor, all on Britain's development pathway alongside Jack Skerry, Tyler Melbourne-Smith and Matt Ward, who impressed at nationals with a range of personal bests.
Head Coach Steven Tigg praised the balance of the team and the focus on relay development for the LA 2028 Olympics:
"We were delighted with the overall standard of the Aquatics GB Championships in London. Clubs and coaches across the board had prepared their athletes to a very high level.
“Competition for places was fierce, with the increased depth from our younger athletes asking questions of our more established cohort who rose to the challenge. This can only sharpen our competitive skills and develop our racing nerve as we build towards an exciting summer.
Firstly, at the Commonwealth Games where a wide range of athletes from our Home Nation partners will compete in front of a Glasgow crowd, before culminating in Paris, where the focus will turn to British representation and more specific individual programmes and our Olympic relay teams against tough European competition.
“It is a tremendous opportunity for increased race exposure to test the team’s physical robustness and mental resilience as we continue our journey towards Los Angeles in line with our preparation strategies."
The Honour Of Selection Well-Earned
Ollie Morgan said:
‘It’s a massive honour to be selected to represent Great Britain at my first European Championships. After another successful Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, I’m excited to step up in the summer and race the best in Europe, and give everything for some medal opportunities.”
After making her first GB senior team Theodora Taylor said:
“I’m really excited to be able to represent Great Britain at the European Championships this summer in Paris. As my first senior GB selection, I’m looking forward to competing against the best athletes in Europe and swim as part of a relay team. I hope to learn from the more experienced swimmers on the team as a junior myself and gain more international experience.”
The Aquatics GB swimming team for the 2026 European Championships in Paris:
* Titles of Aquatics GB Performance Centres are shortened to 'Performance Centre' in this list
- Freya Colbert, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Lauren Cox, Manchester Performance Centre
- Angharad Evans, University of Stirling
- Joshua Gammon, Bath Performance Centre
- James Guy, Manchester Performance Centre
- Max Litchfield, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Keanna MacInnes, University of Stirling
- Edward Mildred, Manchester Performance Centre
- Oliver Morgan, University of Birmingham
- Filip Nowacki, Millfield
- Eva Okaro, Repton
- Adam Ramsay-Peaty, Repton
- Matt Richards, Manchester Performance Centre
- Duncan Scott, University of Stirling
- Amalie Smith, Royal Tunbridge Wells Monson
- Abbie Wood, Manchester Performance Centre
The above athletes are selected after winning an individual event at the 2026 AGB Swimming Championships that equals or betters the required standard as per clause 5.2 of the relevant selection policy
- Greg Butler, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Luke Greenbank, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Jacob Peters, Bath Performance Centre
- Emily Richards, Manchester Performance Centre
- Jack Skerry, Bath Performance Centre
- Theodora Taylor, Torfaen Dolphins
The above athletes are selected after finishing second in an individual event at the 2026 AGB Swimming Championships that equals or betters the required standard as per clause 5.3 of the relevant selection policy
- Freya Anderson, University of Stirling
- Evelyn Davis, University of Stirling
- Jack McMillan, University of Stirling
- Jacob Mills, Repton
- Leah Schlosshan, Manchester Performance Centre
- Gabriel Shepherd, City of Leeds
- Jacob Whittle, Repton
The above athletes are selected as part of relay combinations that equalled or bettered the required qualifying times, as per clause 5.5 of the selection policy.
- Alex Cohoon, Loughborough Performance Centre*
- Rio Daodu, Mt Kelly
- Tom Dean, University of Stirling*
- Evan Jones, Manchester Performance Centre
- Tyler Melbourne-Smith, Loughborough University
- Katie Shanahan, University of Stirling*
- Matthew Ward, Bath Performance Centre
The above athletes are selected at the discretion of the Performance Director and GB Head Coach. These selections are based on performances at the 2026 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships; providing relay alternates for athletes with busy schedules; prioritising European medal opportunities; and athletes that are on a trajectory to podium success at the LA 2028 Olympic Games, as per clause 5.7 of the selection policy.
*athletes' selected subject to completing fitness tests
The following coaches have been selected to support the team, under the guidance of Aquatics GB swimming Head Coach Steven Tigg:
- Lisa Bates, Chelsea & Westminster Swimming Club
- Laurel Bailey, Warrender Baths
- Scott Goadby, Loughborough Performance Centre
- David Hemmings, Loughborough Performance Centre
- Ben Higson, University of Stirling
- Ryan Livingstone, Manchester Performance Centre
- David McNulty, Bath Performance Centre
Lisa Bates is also the coach helping to guide David Wilkie's son Adam Wilkie on a odyssey in honour of his late, swim-great father and raising funds for the next way through SportsAid:
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