Scott & Guy Tie, Richards Close; Evans In Record Form; & Morgan Celebrates Sweep - A Perfect Curtain-Closer In London
A stirring curtain-closer at Aquatics GB Championships included a 1:05.3 British record for Angharad Evans in the 100m breaststroke; a backstroke sweep for Oliver Morgan; and the perfect ending - a 1:45.08 snap for James Guy and Duncan Scott ahead of Matt Richards in the 200m free
After Oliver Morgan's 1:55.55-1:56.20 tussle with Luke Greenbank in the 200m backstroke and Angharad Evans' 1:05.37 British record in the 100m breaststroke for a place in the all-time global top 15, the Aquatics GB Championships in London might have had the best of its curtain-closer but living legends are not the kind of athletes to disappoint.
There was no Tom Dean today, but the other four members of the 4x200m free quartets who led Great Britain to gold in Paris delivered a perfect Manchester Vs Stirling four-way fight and "That's-All-Folks" finish to the six-day meet. Their stirring battle in the 200m freestyle ended with James Guy and Duncan Scott in a snap for gold, on 1:45.98, Matt Richards third in 1:45.35, and Jack MacMillan, who raced in Paris heats last year, home in 1:46.49 to confirm that the Brits will be contenders for gold once more come Singapore World titles this summer.
Guy was trailing the 200m Olympic silver medallists of Tokyo (Scott, by 0.02sec adrift Dean) and Paris (Richards, by 0.04sec adrift Popovici) at the last turn, when Richards had a lead off almost a second, with Scott just 0.15sec ahead of Guy.
Let the hunt begin, every man hunter and hunted and for himself. Richards, the 2023 World champion, felt the pace and heat down the last length and was overhauled on the closing strokes and Guy caught and past him and caught Scott but did not pass him. Look, too, to Macmillan and his last length: Just shy of 3 seconds back from Richards at the last turn, he finished a touch over a second shy of bronze.
Here's the ebb and flow of fight:
24.34; 50.63; 1:17.64; 1:45.08 - James Guy, Manchester PC, coach Ryan Livingstone
24.57; 50.67; 1:17.49; 1:45.08 - Duncan Scott, University of Stirling, coach Ben Higson
23.65; 49.80; 1:16.65; 1:45.35 - Matthew Richards, Manchester
25.32; 52.43; 1:19.53; 1:46.49 - Jack McMillan, Stirling
A fine result, then, for all four, but extra special is the bond between Guy and Scott: in the 4x200 free, its been silver at Rio 2016; gold at Tokyo 2020ne; gold at Paris 2024. That shared achievement is unique in swimming history. And ... they want more...
James Guy, facing camera, left, and Duncan Scott topped the 200m free in a tie in London - Photos courtesy of Aquatics GB, left, and Scottish Swimming, right
The medallists slotted into the early 2025 World rankings in Nos 2, 3 and 4, Guy and Scott 0.01sec shy of the season best, so farm, of Romania's Olympic champion David Popovici, on 1:45.07 at his own national championships on April 10. MacMillan's time leaves him 7th so far this year and while there's a way to go before the Singapore form guide takes shape, Britain has several reasons to be cheerful.
There's the times on the clock, the combined times on the clock, and all of that after substantial breaks from training were taken at the back end of 2024 and the form we've seen in London reflects rested swims off the back of a steady path back to full fitness at an early stage own the journey of post-Olympic 'what next'. And, of course, there's Dean yet to show but a shoe-in for Singapore via pre-selection, in common with all those who made podiums in Paris last year.
Worth noting, too, that behind MacMillan, Evan Jones, Manchester, 800 free champion this week Tyler Melbourne-Smith, medley ace Max Litchfield, both Loughborough, and Alexander Painter, Millfield, came home in 1:47-1:48s, all but the veteran finalist at the past three Olympics, Litchfield, turning 20 or 21 this year.
Guy, with gold in the 200 and 400 free this week, turns 30 in November, while Scott, with gold in the 200 free, butterfly and medley his week, turns 28 early next month. They're both as hungry as ever, Scott explaining how and why in this interview with State of Swimming:
Craig Lord
Guy and Scott already have so much that bonds and ties them in friendship and shared achievement for life. Now they have a snap, too. Said Guy:
"I've never, ever tied for a win before! To go like that with Duncan, we were in the call room before showing each other what songs we were listening to - it's that kind of relationship where we walk to the pool together, we compete against each other, have dinner together, have breakfast together. We've been chatting all week like it's a little holiday, it's been quite nice, so to do that at the end of the week and go head to head like that is great. It's always good fun. For that minute and a half of hell, we want to win, and that's the beauty of it.
"The relay looks good. For April, that final, that's pretty good, so it's looking good for the summer. I'm off next week, going to Mallorca with my fiancee, checking out the wedding venue - I think she wants some wedding time now. It's been swimming all week, now it's that time!"
Scott's take:
"Me and Jim have been racing for so long, it's a pleasure always going head-to-head in the last event, you're always thinking about it all week. I was just really happy to be in there, I didn't quite know where I'd be at in this meet, I think I've surprised myself quite a lot and I'm really happy with that, just happy to be involved to be honest, so I'm buzzing with that. It was really good fun, me and Jimmy have raced each other for so long, and Matt in there as well. Good to see Jack [McMillan, Olympic gold medallist from 4x200m Freestyle Relay heats] there as well [in fourth], he’s unbelievable in training and makes me accountable in everything I do. I've got a lot of admiration and respect to all the boys in there.
"This is always the last event here but at an international meet not only is the 200m Freestyle early on, but the 4x200m Free Relay is early, so it is important that we don’t just have a fast four, fifth and sixth is important as well, so we have depth in the team. We now need to make sure from now and to the summer we need to work as individuals on what we need to sort out so we can come together and fight for that gold again. We’ve done it so well over the last few years but when you're out in front as a team there’s a target on your back."
If that ended the championships, the last session began with another podium tie, though no-one matched Ben Proud in the 50m freestyle a day after he took his first gold of the week in the 50m freestyle. The former World champion in both hose dash events, Proud, racing for Chelsea&West, took the national 'fly crown once more, his 23.21 followed by a tie on 23.44 for Bath PC teammates Jacob Peters and Joshua Gammon.
In the rest of his article:
- Ollie Morgan Completes Backstroke Sweep
- Angharad Evans Into The World All-Time Top 15 With British Record
REGISTER TO READ THIS & OTHER FREE CONTENT:
More Coverage:
Craig Lord
Craig Lord
Craig Lord
Craig Lord
Craig Lord
xzxz
