Freya Colbert Shines At Swim England National Winter Championships
Freya Colbert paid two visits to the podium while Luke Greenbank, Eva Okaro and Amelie Blocksidge were also among the winners on day one of the Swim England National Winter Championships (25m) in Sheffield.
Okaro and Colbert went head to head in the 100 free. Okaro, part of the Great Britain 4×1 free relay that finished seventh at Paris 2024, was out quicker and held off the fast finish of Colbert to win in 53.01 to 53.31. Jemima Hall, Bath University, was third in 54.27.
Colbert was fourth in the 400IM at Paris 2024 and contested the short medley at Ponds Forge. The Loughborough Performance Centre swimmer was a clear winner in 2:07.99 ahead of 2023 European junior champion Leah Schlosshan (2:09.21) and Candice Hall (2:38.97).
Luke Greenbank: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, Aquatics GB
Greenbank endured a heartbreaking DQ in Paris. The 27-year-old set the 200 back British record of 1:48.53 en-route to silver at last year’s European s/c Championships and in Sheffield he was in clear water, winning by 2.35secs in 1:52.29. Brother Sam made it a Greenbank 1-2 in 1:54.64 with Evan Jones next home in 1:54.91.
Blocksidge is set to make her senior international debut at the short-course worlds which start run from 10-15 December in Budapest.
She followed up a successful programme at the Rotterdam Qualification Meet last weekend with victory in the longest race in the Ponds Forge pool to take the senior and junior titles in 15:58.22.
Fleur Lewis was second in 16:05.85 with Hollie Wilson third in 16:24.02.
Max Morgan won out in a battle with Greg Butler and Filip Nowacki in the Open/Male 100m Breaststroke. The trio were split by less than a second at the wall, but it was 16-year-old Morgan who touched first in an impressive time of 58.12 ahead of Butler (58.32) and Nowacki (58.98).
Charlie Hutchison prevailed in a duel with Loughborough University teammate Tyler Melbourne-Smith in 3:40.19 to 3:40.36, the pair well clear of Reece Grady who got third in 3:44.80.
Daniel Khodaverdi broke the British junior record, clocking 3:52.51 to knock a quarter of a second off Ieuan Lloyd’s time from 2009.
Imogen Clark won the 100m breaststroke in 1:05.79 ahead of Elizabeth Booker (1:06.62) as Schlosshan returned for her second medal of the night with bronze in 1:07.51.
Joe Litchfield won the 100IM in 53.20 ahead of Loughborough Performance Centre teammate Calvin Fry (53.61) and Alexander Casey (54.29)
Jamie Ingram was the only man inside 23secs in the 50 fly, winning in 22.73 ahead of Joe Litchfield (23.04) and Abduljabar Adama (23.29).
A world’s best time from William Ellard in the 200m freestyle highlighted the morning session as the S14 swimmer clocked a time of 1:50.64 in the heat declared winner event.
The Norwich Swan athlete bettered Australia’s Jack Ireland’s previous best by more than a second, which he set just over a year ago.
Subject to ratification, the effort will add to the double Paralympic champions record collection, adding to a day where he was named as a nominee for the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year.
William Newton headed the men’s MC 400 free in 4:27.19 with Brooklyn Hale taking the women’s race in 4:55.63.
Louise Fiddes headed the women’s MC 200 free in 2:07.28.
