British Swimming Championships 2024: Matt Richards wins classic 200m free final on last day of Paris trials
The 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships (formerly British Swimming Championships) ended in stunning fashion as Matt Richards won a men's 200m freestyle final for the ages at the London Aquatics Centre on Sunday 7 April.
The field boasted some of the finest swimmers in not only British but also world swimming, including six-time Olympic medallist Duncan Scott, and two-time Olympic champions Tom Dean and James Guy.
But at the end of a scintillating four-length battle, it was Richards who came home fastest, touching the wall in 1:44.69 to claim a second consecutive British title over the distance and with it a place on the British team for Paris 2024 (pending final confirmation from selectors).
Second-place Scott also went under the nomination time and will have a strong chance of making the team for the event, while the two fastest finishers plus Dean and Scott will make up the 4x200m freestyle relay team for the next Olympic Games.
"It's always great fun, especially racing with these boys," the 21-year-old Richards said in a pool-side interview after the race. "In the summer we'll all get to race together as part of that relay, which everyone knows just how exciting that is but it's always a privilege and an honour to race alongside them."
Scott, who along with Richards, Dean and Richards was part of the 4x200m free relay team that won gold for Britain at Tokyo 2020 will be itching to have the chance to add to his tally of Olympic medals in Paris, which includes silver in the 200m free - one of four medals he won at the last Olympic Games.
"It's always so difficult, you know there's only two individual spots and I've been on the wrong side of that last year," he said. "At the same time, it urges everyone on, there's real good quality in that race."
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Anna Hopkin storms to victory in women's 100m free as Ollie Morgan takes gold and Paris nomination time in 200m back
Earlier in the evening, Anna Hopkin won a barnstorming 100m freestyle final in 53.33 seconds to earn her place on the Olympic team for the event having already earned selection in the 50m free.
She ended the race just over a second ahead of a highly impressive Eva Okaro, with the teenager finishing in 54.46. Freya Anderson made her only appearance at the championships having been a doubt due to taking time to recover from glandular fever. She finished with the bronze medal and could still make the Olympic team depending on the final decision of the selectors.
"I'm happy with the two swims and the consideration times and becoming British champion but I would have liked a little bit quicker in that race," Hopkin said in a post-race interview. "I put together some good races this year so far, so there's a lot to build on going to Paris."
The other big winner on the final night of the trials was Ollie Morgan who won a thrilling men's 200m backstroke race in 1:56.27 - under the nomination time, just edging out two-time Olympic medallist Luke Greenback who finished in 1:56.39.
The first race of the evening once again saw 14-year-old Amelie Blocksidge show just why she is one of the most exciting young swimmers in the world as she won the women's 800m freestyle in 8:32.61. While her time was outside of the nomination time for the British team she was almost four seconds faster than silver medallist Fleur Lewis (8:36.41) with Michaella Glenister coming third in 8:43.00.
In the other final of the night, Angharad Evans was crowned women's 100m breaststroke champion after a swim of 1:06.54 which was also slower than the nomination standard. Kara Hanlon claimed silver with Imogen Clark taking bronze.