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    2025 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

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    By Mark Wild on SwimSwam

    2025 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

    Ok. So maybe the re-emergence of “Chunnel” as a term didn’t take off with our my coverage of the Aquatics GB Olympic Trials last year. And while QI might have taught me that a tunnel from London to Singapore would only take 42 minutes to travel, we haven’t yet developed said technology (or the tunnel for that matter) so there will be no subliminal messages this go around. That said, if someone can try to bring back the Worcester Sauce Twiglets, we all will be in your debt.

    However, we are not hear to discuss our favorite discontinued snack and terms, but rather the second day of competition at the 2025 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships. Much like last year’s qualification meet, this meet wears many caps, nominating swimmers to the World Championships, Para-World Championships, as well as the European Aquatics U23 Meet, and both the European and World Junior Championships.

    The competition this evening kicks off with the 50 breaststroke, where Max Morgan, the runner-up last night in the 100 breaststroke, will look to top the podium. Morgan, the British Junior Record Holder, was just .12 off that time this morning, but will have to ensure that he gets to the wall first, as Archie Goodburn is just .11 back.

    From the shortest event of the evening, we move onto the longest event as the 1500 freestyle concludes with its fastest heat. Emma Price posted the fastest time in the early heats going 17:07.91, but all eyes will be on Amelie Blocksidge, who just turned 16 last week. Blocksidge is entered with a time of 16:10.04, seven seconds clear of Fleur Lewis, the exact order they finished in last year at Trials. Each will have their work cut out for them as they will be chasing the stiff consideration time of 16:02.39.

    Ed Mildred will take center stage in the men’s 200 fly tonight. The 22-year-old posted a new personal best this morning of 1:57.02, a drop of nearly a full second. The Manchester-based swimmer, may be looking to add a new event to his repertoire, as while he did medal in the event at the 2019 European Youth Olympics, Mildred has found more success in the sprints, winning the 100 free at the 2023 European U23 Championships, as well as collecting two medals in the 4×100 free relays at the 2022 Rome European Championships.

    While Mildred leads the field by nearly two full seconds, Henry IV’s “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” has never more aptly fit as there is a trio of swimmers behind him hungry for the podium. Joshua Gammon, last year’s champion, sits 3rd this morning right in between  Olympic Gold medalists, Duncan Scott and James Guy. The pair, the 2nd and 4th seeds, will be next to one another in tonight’s final, occupying lanes 5 and 6 respectively. While competition to finish first will be fierce, the stiff 1:54.97 qualifying time will be a hard ask as only swimmers have ever been under the mark, are the National Record holder Michael Rock (1:54.58) and Guy in 2022 (1:54.91).

    The men’s 200 fly qualifying time may be a Herculean task, but the women’s and men’s 400 IM sees at least two swimmers likely to qualify. Top seeds Freya Colbert and Max Litchfield swam smooth 4:44.79 and 4:17.33 this morning, but likely have much more in the tank. Colbert, who nearly rewrote the 200 free national record last night, is the reigning World Champion and placed 4th at the Olympics last summer. Litchfield, who won silver in this event in Doha, his first World’s medal, at the age of 28, like Colbert, placed 4th last summer at the Olympics, and like Colbert was within a second of the podium. The pair obviously have time to drop to reach the qualifying standard, but based on their performances last year, that feat should be well within their range of abilities.

    The session concludes with the women’s 100 backstroke. European and British national record holder Kathleen Dawson made the final tonight, albeit in 5th place, and will have to move past several of her younger compatriots if she wants to book her flight to Singapore. Dawson, who won last year in 59.74, will have to fight an even tougher standard, as it has been set to an even faster time, going from 59.89 to 59.46. Fellow Scot Katie Shanahan has opted not to swim the 400 IM, an event where she placed 2nd last year, and instead has targeted the 100 backstroke and is your top seed tonight, having gone 1:00.66 this morning, the only swimmer under 1:01. Her time stands as a new personal best, bettering her previous best of 1:00.70, but the time is still a far cry away from Dawson’s 58.08 and #2 seed Lauren Cox‘s best of 59.60.

    Men’s 50-Meter Breaststroke

    Junior Final

    Top 3:

    1. William Tonks (Repton) – 28.22
    2. Joshua Inglis (Mt Kelly) – 28.69
    3. Saxon Minto (Chelmsford) – 28.85

    The race was all William Tonks as the youngster from Repton got out to a strong start. From the pull-out, Tonks had a strong lead as he led from start to finish, winning the junior final in 28.22, a new personal best and a drop of .15 from this morning. Joshua Inglis equaled his time from this morning and Saxon Minto broke the 29-second barrier for the first time, going 28.85, which was good for 3rd.

    Remember, while the meet is primarily being sold as a World and Para-World qualifying meet, many swimmers will also be eligible to qualify for the U23 Championships as well as the World and European Junior Championships.

    Multi-Class Para Final

    • SB3 World Record: 46.49 – Roman Zhdanov, RPC (2021)
    • SB3 British Record: 57.94 – Lyndon Longhorne (2016)

    Top 3:

    1. Harvey Phillips (Manchester) – 1:03.76 (427 pts)

    With the crowd behind him, Harvery Phillips swam his way to a win in the 50 Breaststroke. The only competitor in the field, Philips, was just a little off his time from this morning of 1:02.92. His time this evening, 1:03.76, ranks as 427 points in the Multiclassification point system. Phillips won’t know if he has been appointed to the Para-team as there are two phases for appointment, this meet and the Aquatics GB British Summer Championships, which will be held in July.

    British Open Final

    • World Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
    • European Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
    • British Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
    • 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: —

    Top 3:

    1. Max Morgan (Reed’s SC) – 27.69
    2. Archie Goodburn (Edinburgh) – 27.76
    3.  Filip Nowacki (Millfield) – 27.87

    It was a massive celebration for the 17 year old Max Morgan, as he claimed the win in the 50 breaststroke after a disappointing 2nd place last night in the 100. Morgan, the British Junior record holder, took the race out fast and had the lead after the start. Archie Goodburn made a late charge at the end and nearly pipped Morgan, seven years his junior, finishing in 27.78 to Morgan’s 27.69.

    In 2024, Goodburn was diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumors, but has continued to train and race, and was rewarded with the silver medal tonight. In his post-race interview, an emotional Goodburn stated, ” the last two days as well, have been a real mental battle,” but thanked his family, team and girlfriend for being there for him.

    Filip Nowacki, another youngster, broke 28.00 for the first time, claiming the bronze in 27.87, his second bronze of the meet after taking the same position last night. Both Morgan and Nowacki are eligible for consideration for junior Worlds, as each was under the consideration time last night. There are no consideration times for the 50s of stroke.

    Women’s 1500-Meter Freestyle

    Fastest Heat

    • World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
    • European Record: 15:38.88 – Lotte Friis, Denmark (2013)
    • British Record: 15:47.26 – Jazmin Carlin (2013)
    • 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: — 16:02.39

    Top 3:

    1. Amelie Blocksidge (Co Salford) – 16:23.54
    2. Fleur Lewis (Lboro Uni) – 16:33.63
    3. Leah Crisp (Bath PC) – 16:40.00

    Sixteen-year-old Amelie Blocksidge left nothing to doubt as she jumped out to an early lead. Blocksidge, who is the reigning British Champion, was 16:13.39 last April, but had a PB of 16:10.04 from February of 2024. Blocksidge was nearly equal to her times from last year, as she opened in 2:07.04 and was 2:07.05 last year. At the 400-meter mark, she was 4:17.33, and last year she was 4:17.34. Things started to slip away over the next 400 as she flipped in 8:40.02 compared to her 8:38.77 from last year.

    Fleur Lewis, who tailed her all of last year, was in a familiar position this swim as she moved her way up through the field in the first half of the race to be securely in 2nd at the 800 turn, flipping in 8:47.98.

    Blocksidge made her senior international debut in December at the 2024 Short Course Worlds, where she placed 7th in a time of 15:47.28. The 16-year-old is unlikely to book a trip to Singapore as the consideration time of 16:02.39 was always going to be a tall order, but with so many opportunities for junior swimmers, Blocksidge’s winning time of 16:23.54 easily makes one of those teams. Her time, despite being 13 seconds off her PB, sets a new 16-year-old Age Group record, undercutting the 16:28.49 of Keri-Anne Payne set back in 2003, and makes Blocksidge a three-time champion in the event.

    Men’s 200-Meter Butterfly

    Junior Final

    Top 3:

    1.  Jack Brown (Plymouth Leander) – 2:00.83
    2. Llewellyn Porter (Camden Swiss) – 2:02.55
    3. Miles Kinlen (Co Sheffield) – 2:02.72

    Lane 3’s Jack Brown took the race out fast, opening up 57.16, a different strategy from this morning, where he went out in 58.38. Brown, who was 18th this morning, had a lead over the top seed Llewellyn Porter at the 100, but Porter’s 30 50 closed the gap to just .01. Brown, who was 2:04.00 this morning surged on the last 50 fighting off the charge from Porter and Miles Kinlen in the last 30 meters or so to surge to the finish in 2:00.83 outsplitting Porter by nearly two seconds on the last 50. His time, a new PB sits just .40 off the Euro Junior Consideration time of 2:00.43.

    British Open Final

    • World Record: 1:50.34 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
    • European Record: 1:50.34 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
    • British Record: 1:54.58 – Michael Rock (2009)
    • 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: — 1:54.97

    Top 3:

    1. Duncan Scott (Uni Of Stirling) – 1:54.89 ***WORLD CONSIDERATION TIME***
    2. Edward Mildred (ManchesterPC) – 1:56.21
    3. James Guy (ManchesterPC) – 1:59.44

    In his post-race interview, when asked, Duncan Scott said he expected to go that fast, but I, like the audience, maybe didn’t see a 1:54.89 in the cards. When pressed if he was going to swim at the event in Singapore, Scott said, “I’m looking for my coach. There’s no chance I’m doing that; he better not be nodding his head.”

    Scott, who, after prelims, made mention that his participation in the event was in part inspired by the butterfly speed of his international rivals, Leon Marchand took the race out quickly, going 53.94, but trailed top seed Ed Mildred, who was out in 53.86. The pair were separated by just .01 at the 150 with Scott in the lead, but Scot, who is the most decorated British Olympian at a single Games, surged over the last 50 closing in 30.92 to touch first in 1:54.89, a massive new PB.

    His time just got under the World’s consideration time of 1:54.97, but as mentioned above, Scott appears to be unlikely to swim the event in Singapore.

    Mildred, who had already posted a PB in the morning session finished in 2nd in another new PB of 1:56.21, with his teammate James Guy finishing in 3rd at 1:59.44. Guy, the British textile record holder, was well off his best but did mention that he hadn’t recovered as well as he would have liked after his 400 free from last night. His tiredness showed, as Guy, who had attacked his races from the get-go, was behind the leading pair as he opened in just 55.11.

    Women’s 400-Meter Individual Medley

    Junior Final

    Top 3:

    1. Katie Lee (Co Salford) – 4:49.50
    2. Suzie McNair (Uni of Stirling) – 4:53.08
    3. Patra Varga (Wirral Metro) – 4:53.08

    Katie Lee used a strong breaststroke leg to open up what had been a less than a second lead at the 200 meter mark to an over two second lead over her competition in the Women’s 400 IM Junior Final. Lee, who was 4:55.82 this morning, kept up her pace over the last 100 to take the win in 4:49.50. The time was a new PB and, like Jack Brown in the 200 Fly, was just off the Euro Junior consideration time of 4:48.66.

    British Open Final

    Top 3:

    1. Abbie Wood (L’Borogh PC) – 4:36.66 ***WORLD CONSIDERATION TIME***
    2. Freya Colbert (L’Borogh PC) – 4:36.83 ***WORLD CONSIDERATION TIME***
    3. Amalie Smith (RTW Monson) – 4:44.34

    Well the times were not as close to the British records, as the commentators thought the race could produce, but it certainly was a great race. Abbie Wood, who admitted pre-race that her freestyle hasn’t been feeling too great still managed to hold off the charge of Freya Colbert.

    Wood, a 2021 Olympic finalist in the 200 breaststroke and a repeat finalist in the 200 IM in Paris, attacked the race from the beginning opening up a lead of .33 on Colbert at the 100 and maintaining it through the backstroke. With 100 left, Wood led the defending World Champion by 1.99, but Colbert, who nearly re-set the British record in the 200 free last night, surged home to nearly catch her teammate, but Wood got her hand onto the wall first in 4:36.66 to Colbert’s 4:36.83.

    Wood’s time represents a new personal best, as she erased her time of 4:37.25 from 2017. With the win, Wood punches her ticket to Singapore as she got under the consideration time of 4:37.84. Colbert, who already punched her ticket in the 200 free, was also under consideration for the time.

    Amalie Smith claimed 3rd in 4:44.34. The time was a little off her PB of 4:41.70, a time that set the 15-year-old age group record back in February. Despite being a little slower, her time tonight easily gets under the Junior Consideration time of 4:48.66.

    Men’s 400-Meter Individual Medley

    Junior Final

    Top 3:

    British Open Final

    • World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
    • European Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
    • British Record: 4:08.85 – Max Litchfield (2024)
    • 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: — 4:11.90

    Top 3:

    Women’s 100-Meter Backstroke

    Junior Final

    Top 3:

    Multi-Class Para Final

    Top 3:

    British Open Final

    Top 3:

     

    Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

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