What Do You Get When You Put A Welshman, An Englishman, A Scot(t) & An Irishman In a 200 Free Battle?
Answer: Fireworks. Matt Richards, James Guy, Duncan Scott & Jack McMillan, 4x200m free 2025 World champions and 4 of the 6 2024 Olympic gold medalists will be back in Paris to battle for Britain at the European Champs in August - after each races for their home nations at Commonwealths in Glasgow
Matt Richards, 1:44. 77; James Guy, 1:45.38; Duncan Scott, 1:45.44; Jack McMillan, 1:45.91 - the first two of four GB Performance-Centre charges home coached by Ryan Livingstone in Manchester, the next two by Ben Higson in Stirling.
The curtain-closing 200m freestyle at the British Championships in London always deliver on promise in this era of craving a berth on the 4x200m free relay like it's never been craved with golden expectation before.
All the top four have been faster, but racing was the point of a fight featuring a Welshman, Richards, an Englishman, Guy, a Scotsman, Scott, and an Irishman, McMillan, up front, on their way to a clash of home nations at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on the eve of European Championships back in Paris.
Time, of course, is always significant in a 200 race that ends with a winner on 1:44, a podium of sub-1:45.5s, a top four under 1:46, and Gabriel Shepherd, a teen born in the year Michael Phelps was busy hauling a record eight golds at Beijing 2008 and racing for the same Leeds club that boasts Adrian Moorhouse on its roster of champions, on 1:46.39 and there to remind us that the next wave is building on the way to LA2028 and a possible Britain bid for a third straight gold in the long relay.
Meanwhile, back in the present moment, the racing was another thriller. rare to see Scott turn first at the 100m, yet that he did, in 50.68, Guy closest on 50.77, Richards on 50.89. The third length left them in the same places, the gap from Scott to Guy 0.2, Richards 0.37 behind Guy.
Pride powered the way home, Richards striking for the front as Scott and Guy tightened - albeit by only a relative touch. The last 50 splits: a belting 26.67 from Richards, the Olympic silver medallist behind David Popovici in Paris by a slither too skinny for the eye to see; Guy on 27.45; Scott on 27.71; McMillan on 27.35; and Shepherd on ... 26.95. The future's rolling in, Evan Jones, in his early 20s, sixth and another possible for the 4x200m call up, on 1:46.50.
Richards is the second man in the world so far this year to break 1:45, the first having been 18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo, on 1:44.53 at China Spring Nationals (and Open) last month.
In London this week, the missing man is the third charge up in Stirling, Tokyo 2020ne Olympic champion Tom Dean, member of the 4x200 golden crews of Tokyo and Paris 2024. He had to withdraw from trials injured, but may yet race for Britain and England this summer under discretionary selection powers.
Craig Lord
The race:
After the rush of race and medals, Richards said:
“You definitely feel the pressure and feel the anticipation – there’s a certain buzz around the building on the night of the 200m free. There’s a little bit of electricity and I love that atmosphere and that environment.
“I try not to take myself or the race too seriously, and try to get in there and have some fun. I’ve always found that I race my best when I race like I did when I was a little kid, and that’s to get out there, give it everything I’ve got, and try to get my hand on the wall first. That attitude has led to every success I’ve had so far.”
More down the line on what the others had to say and how what we're witnessing is all geared to, yes, the thrills and spills of the summer ahead, but always with "an eye on LA2028", as Scott put it. You can hear what all the winners and some of the others medalists had to say poolside in the Aquatics GB video of the live sessions, linked below.
Day 6
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Day 5
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Day 4
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Day 3
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Day 2
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Day 1
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