Having made history with their Tech Duet silver in Doha on Monday, British Swimming’s first-ever Duet medal at a World Champs, the Tokyo Olympians delivered again in the Free Duet final as they scored 247.26 to win bronze behind China and the Netherlands.

Their combined tallies across the technical and free events also ensured the British pair were the top-ranked eligible duet in the race for Paris 2024 qualification, subject to ratification following the final team event.

Shortman, who studies International Management and Modern Languages (French) at the University, said: “It’s such a relief to say we have qualified, we have finally qualified! It’s incredible, honestly. If people knew how much it takes to get to an Olympic Games, it really should not be underestimated.”

The duo’s free routine was based on the phoenix, symbolising the regeneration of artistic swimming following last year’s rule changes which made the judging system more objective, and that switch is something the British pair are thriving on.

“The fact that we are in contention for an Olympic medal is just something we never thought we’d be able to say,” said Shortman, who is supported by a Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholarship as she pursues her dual career of study and sport.

“The rule change has been incredible. It’s amazing for the sport, it’s so engaging to see the sport and to see different people on the podium. We are just so excited with what’s to come.”

It is a third World Championships medal for Shortman in eight months, following her ground-breaking Solo Free bronze at the 2023 event in Japan.

Find out more about how scholarships help University of Bath student-athletes pursue their academic and sporting goals by visiting teambath.com/scholarships.\

With thanks to Team Bath

It is Britain’s first-ever World Championships medal in a Duet event and came eight months after International Management and Modern Languages (French) student Shortman had achieved a similar breakthrough in the individual disciplines with Solo Free bronze at the 2023 Championships in Japan.

Shortman, supported by a Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholarship, and Thorpe – who train in Bristol – had placed third in Saturday’s prelims, so went into Monday’s finals as medal contenders.

They cemented that status in style, executing their Big Ben-inspired routine magnificently to receive an overall mark of 259.56. That put them in the lead with only two more pairings to compete – China, who went on to win gold, and Spain, who were unable to surpass the British duo’s score.

“To get a silver medal at World Champs, in Olympic year, is crazy,” said Shortman. “We are just really happy, I don’t think it will sink in for a couple of days.

“The confidence that this will give us will translate into the Free Duet [prelims on Wednesday]. We need to reset because we’ve got big plans for that as well, so we don’t want to let this affect that either way.”

After the Championships, the scores from both Tech Duet and Free Duet finals will be combined to work out who has qualified the final Olympic spots for Paris 2024.

It was a second notable achievement for University of Bath sporting scholars at the World Aquatics Championships, coming 48 hours after Economics and Mathematics student Leah Crisp had set the marathon swimming Olympic qualifying standard for Team GB.

Find out more about how scholarships help University of Bath student-athletes pursue their academic and sporting goals by visiting teambath.com/scholarships.

With thanks to Team Bath

The Bill Whiteley Scholar won bronze in the Women’s Solo Free competition on Wednesday with a superbly-executed routine which earned her 219.9542 points, only beaten by home favourite Yukiko Inui and Austria’s Vasiliki Alexandri.

Shortman, who studies International Management and Modern Languages (French), told British Swimming: “I can’t even put it into words, I am so excited. This is just a crazy step in the right direction for Great Britain, hopefully putting us on the map a bit more.

“It hasn’t set in yet. It’s always something I’ve dreamed of. This is my fourth World Championships, I did my first Worlds when I was 15 and I always looked up to the medallists and was in awe of them. So to think today that I’m stood on the podium, it’s just crazy.”

It is a second international medal of the season for Shortman, who won Women’s Duet bronze with Izzy Thorpe at last month’s European Games, and comes as the British squad – who train in Bristol – make a successful transition to a new scoring system designed to be less subjective.

“I just swam my heart out and was really thinking about staying precise, staying controlled and not getting too excited with the prelims score,” added Shortman, who was the second-highest scorer in qualifying. “I didn’t want to run away with it, I just wanted to control it and I did the best I could.

“I didn’t want to go too high risk, I know a few of the other soloists did and unfortunately it didn’t pay off. They’ve been really strict at this competition with base marks – I wanted to do the best I could and that meant a no-base-mark swim.”

It’s been a busy week in Fukuoka for Shortman, who placed 12th in the Women’s Solo Technical. She also finished eighth in the Women’s Duet Technical with Thorpe, with the duo in action again on Thursday in the Women’s Duet Free final.

Shortman is one of 11 athletes who study or train at the University of Bath representing British Swimming at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

With thanks to Team Bath