The reigning World Champion, who will be competing at her second Games after making her debut in Tokyo, does her strength and conditioning training at the Team Bath Sports Training Village (STV) with the UK Sports Institute (UKSI).

A member of Swindon-based Tigersharks ASC, Hext also does some of her pool training in the London 2012 Legacy Pool at the STV. She is accompanied at poolside and in the high-performance gym by her hearing support dog, Kimmy.

Hext competes in the S5/SB4/SM5 classification and won S5 50m freestyle gold at the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships, as well as 100m freestyle silver. She set the qualification standard for Paris 2024 by swimming well inside the S5 100m freestyle consideration time at last month’s Aquatics GB Swimming Championships.

Follow University of Bath-based athletes on their journey to this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games by visiting teambath.com/Paris-2024.

With thanks to Team Bath

All five are members of the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre squad, coached by David McNulty and Jamie Main at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, and Anderson and Dean are heading to Paris as reigning Olympic gold-medallists.

Freestylers Bird and Whittle will also be competing at their second Games, while University of Bath sporting scholar Crisp will make her Olympic debut after being named in Team GB’s marathon swimming squad.

Also representing Team GB in the pool this summer will be University of Bath Swimming Club’s Ben Proud, who is heading to a third Games, and Sport and Exercise Science alumna Anna Hopkin, who – like Anderson and Dean – won gold on her Olympic debut in Tokyo.

Dean, who famously won double gold in Tokyo, set the Paris nomination standard while winning three medals – 200m individual medley silver and bronze in both the 100m and 200m freestyle – at the recent Speedo Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in London.

“It’s so special when you receive that selection letter, I don’t think that’s ever not going be exciting,” he said. “Nothing compares to an Olympic Games and winning more medals is always the goal. I swam two events in Tokyo and got two gold medals, it would be nice to continue a track record like that.”

He will be joined in the freestyle relay teams by training partner Whittle who, at the age of 19, is heading to his second Olympic Games. He said: “I found out on Thursday afternoon I’d been selected and it was a long, nervous wait. I’m so proud and so happy that I’ve made it. My first goal was to make the team and now I need to assess what’s realistic in the summer but the sky is the limit in the 4x100m freestyle relay.”

Tokyo relay champion Anderson is recovering from glandular fever and was restricted to contesting the 100m freestyle at the British Championships, winning bronze, but her strong form on the international stage in recent years ensured her discretionary selection for Paris.

“I’m someone who believes everything happens for a reason and I’ve learnt a lot during this time of recovery,” she said. “I want to hit training hard now and I have an amazing team around me who can help me do that. The amount of support I have received during the four years I’ve been in Bath and particularly the last few months has been unrivalled.”

Also selected for a second Games is Bird, who has been picked after winning 400m freestyle gold with a lifetime-best performance at the Aquatics GB Championships where he only missed out on automatic qualification by two-tenths of a second.

“The first job is done, which is qualifying, and now the real hard work starts for the summer,” said Bird, who also set personal bests in the 100m and 200m freestyle. “Competing at the Tokyo Olympics was my childhood dream come true but this time I am going for medals, I don’t just want to make up the numbers. I want to reach my full potential in Paris and my performances at the championships have given me some good building blocks.”

Away from the pool, Santander Sporting Scholar Crisp – who studies Economics and Mathematics at the University – is part of a three-strong Team GB marathon swimming squad, the country’s largest contingent since Beijing 2008.

She will contest the women’s 10km race after achieving the qualification standard at February’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha. It is only Crisp’s second season of open-water swimming after transitioning from the pool where she has won a host of medals for the University in BUCS student competition.

“It’s really exciting to be selected, so many years of work have built up to this,” said Crisp, who does her endurance training in the Team Bath pool and outdoor training at Vobster Quay in Radstock, Somerset. “I’ve been studying and training at Bath for four years now and it’s nice I’ll get to graduate this summer just before going to the Olympic Games.”

McNulty and Main will be part of the Team GB coaching team in Paris, marking a sixth Olympic Games for University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport inductee McNulty.

The Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre squad train in the Olympic-standard London 2012 Legacy Pool which is also open to the public. Visit teambath.com/swimming to see the swim-fit timetable and to find out more.

Follow Bath-based athletes on their journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games at teambath.com/Paris-2024.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office 

UK Sport Chief Executive Sally Munday presents the Elite Training Centre accreditation award to University of Bath Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian White. Photo: Nic Delves-Broughton

The University of Bath’s status as a UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre (ETC) was officially recognised on Friday at a ceremony attended by Olympic and Paralympic Champions, high-performance coaches and staff.

Professor Ian White, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, received the prestigious ETC award from Sally Munday, Chief Executive of UK Sport, during a presentation in the Team Bath Sports Training Village.

Joining Team Bath staff at the ceremony were athletes, coaches and administrators from several National Governing Bodies (NGBs) based at the University including Aquatics GB, Pentathlon GB, Wheelchair Fencing and the UK Sports Institute (UKSI).

The University was the first of the eight ETC-accredited institutions nationwide to be officially presented with a plaque to recognise its status, which celebrates its role in helping Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes achieve their full performance potential.

Munday said: “I feel a real privilege to be here as the University of Bath has been part of the journey since National Lottery funding was first introduced to sport in the late 1990s.

“In 1996 we won one gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Since the establishment of UK Sport in 1997, primarily to distribute Lottery funding to the sports in the Olympic and Paralympic movement, we in Britain have won more than a thousand medals. It is quite incredible.

“Bath has been here since the start and you only have to look around the Hall of Fame and the history timeline to see the incredible things that this centre has contributed towards the great British success story that is Olympic and Paralympic sport.”

In the audience for the presentation were Olympic and World modern pentathlon champion Joe Choong, Paralympic and World wheelchair fencing champion Piers Gilliver. They are among a host of reigning gold-medallists who train at the STV including Pentathlon GB’s Kate French and Aquatics GB’s Freya Anderson and Tom Dean.

Other gold-medallists to have trained at the University include skeleton champions Amy Williams (2010) and Lizzy Yarnold (2014, 2018); pentathlete Dr Stephanie Cook (2000); Paralympic swimmers Sascha Kindred and Matt Walker (2000); sprinter Jason Gardener (2004); Paralympic athlete Paul Blake (2016); and swimmers James Guy, Calum Jarvis and Matt Richards (2020). Jarvis, now a coach at the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre, also attended the presentation.

Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport at the University of Bath, said: “Thank you to UK Sport for this award. We truly appreciate being part of the ETC network and have benefited from significant UK Sport investment over the years, not just in the initial building of the Sports Training Village but in the push-start skeleton and bobsleigh track, underwater swimming cameras and, more recently, the Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre and UKSI [UK Sports Institute] Athlete Heath and Performance Studio.

“We are fortunate to host so many successful training squads and enjoy doing what we can to help athletes and coaches be as good as they can be. It may be a small contribution but it is really motivating for everyone who works in this department and it is something that is appreciated right across the University campus.”

Find out more about high-performance sport at the University of Bath by visiting teambath.com/performance.

With thanks to Team Bath Press Office

University of Bath Swimming Club’s Ben Proud also booked his place at a third Olympic Games in fine style, while Tokyo gold-medallist Anna Hopkin is heading to her second after a double title success for the Bath alumna.

There were also gold medals for Team Bath Dual Career student-athlete Joshua Gammon, Holly Hibbott and Kieran Bird, the latter giving the selectors plenty to ponder ahead of next Tuesday’s Team GB Olympic squad announcement after missing the automatic nomination standard by the narrowest of margins.

Dean, coached by David McNulty at the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre, booked his place on the Eurostar by winning bronze in a thrilling 100m freestyle final, just a tenth of a second separating the front three. Training partner Jacob Whittle narrowly missed out on an automatic relay berth after placing fifth.

The following night saw Dean finish runner-up to old rival Duncan Scott in the 200m individual medley final but his time of 1:56.44 was well inside the Paris 2024 nomination standard.

He then won bronze in the last race of the week, an incredible 200m freestyle final which saw a blanket finish from the Tokyo 2020 gold-medal quartet of Dean, Scott and former Bath duo Matt Richards and James Guy to ensure they will all be going to Paris together.

Dean, who was on the podium with Richards and Scott in both the 100m and 200m freestyle finals, said: “Coming here and qualifying for Paris was exactly what I wanted to do. I did that in my first race and in the 200m IM. I knew it would take a momentous effort against these boys but we’re going to Paris and we have an Olympic title to defend.”

An Olympic title is the only thing missing from Proud’s stellar CV but he confirmed he will be among the contenders again this summer after scorching to another British 50m freestyle title in 21.25.

“Honestly, coming into this meet, I wasn’t stressed, I just thought it was ticking the box,” said Proud. “I’m super happy to have swum as I should have and, to be honest, the time was something really fantastic.”

Another sprinter in superb form was Sport and Exercise Science alumna Hopkin, who set the Paris qualifying standard by winning gold in both the 50m and 100m freestyle.

“I’m happy with that overall – two nomination times, two wins,” said Hopkin, who represented the University’s Swimming Club during her four years in Bath. “I would have liked to have gone a bit quicker but I really can’t complain with my consistent times throughout the year so far.”

Joining Hopkin on the 100m freestyle podium on Sunday was fellow Olympic gold-medallist Freya Anderson, who hadn’t raced previously in the week as she continues her recovery from glandular fever.

“I came here with no expectations but it wasn’t too bad,” said Anderson, who won bronze in 54.59. “It’s a pretty good time and I’m happy with it. I was going to use this meet as a checkpoint to see where I’m at, I’ve not returned to full training yet, so to get a mid-54 is alright.”

The opening night saw a Bath Performance Centre one-two in the men’s 400m freestyle, with Bird taking gold ahead of training partner Luke Turley with a superb swim. The Tokyo Olympian’s winning time of 3:45.64 was a personal best and just two-tenths of a second outside the Paris consideration time.

Sports Performance student Gammon, coached by Andrei Vorontsov in the University’s Swimming Club, retained his British 200m butterfly title in fine style the following night, finishing three seconds clear of the field in 1:56.94.

He then produced another stunning swim in Friday’s 100m butterfly to take the silver medal behind Max Litchfield in 51.82, edging out Bath Performance Centre’s Jacob Peters – who had set the Paris qualification time during the morning’s heats – by six-hundredths of a second. Ed Mildred was fourth.

Friday also saw Bath Performance Centre’s Hibbott lead from the front in an exciting 400m freestyle final before holding off a late charge from Amelie Blocksidge to take gold.

“I knew I had to play to my strengths, which was my speed, and I knew Amelie would be coming back at the end,” said Hibbott. “I gave it everything I can and was pleased to get the win.”

Tokyo Olympian Brodie Williams won 200m backstroke bronze in a final that also featured Bath Performance Centre team-mates Matthew Ward and University of Bath sporting scholars Jack Skerry and Cameron Brooker.

Ward, Williams, Skerry and Jonothan Adam had also placed fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh respectively in the 100m backstroke, Ward setting a new age-group record of 54.10.

Meanwhile, S5 athlete Hext swam well inside her required mark of 3:05.07 in the MC 100m freestyle, finishing fifth overall in the multi-classification points system, to do plenty for her bid to go to the Paris Paralympics.

Visit teambath.com/swimming to find out more about the swimming programme at the University of Bath, including the public swim-fit timetable.

Roll of honour (* denotes Paris 2024 nomination time)

GOLD

Kieran Bird: Open/men’s 400m freestyle 3:45.64.
Joshua Gammon: Open/men’s 200m butterfly 1:56.94.
Holly Hibbott: Women’s 400m freestyle 4:11.67.
Anna Hopkin (alumni): Women’s 50m freestyle 24.53*; women’s 100m freestyle 53.33*.
Ben Proud: Men’s 50m freestyle 21.25*.

SILVER

Luke Turley: Open/men’s 400m freestyle 3:48.93.
Joshua Gammon: Open/men’s 100m butterfly 51.82.
Tom Dean: Open/men’s 200m individual medley 1:56.44*.

BRONZE

Freya Anderson: Women’s 100m freestyle 54.59.
Tom Dean: Open/men’s 100m freestyle 47.94*; open/men’s 200m freestyle 1:45.09*.
Jacob Peters: Open/men’s 100m butterfly 51.88.
Brodie Williams: Open/men’s 200m backstroke 1:57.02.

Other finalists

Leah Crisp (800m freestyle 4th 8:43.76, 400m freestyle 6th 4:15.88), Ed Mildred (100m butterfly 4th 52.11), Matthew Ward (100m backstroke 4th 54.10, 200m IM 5th 2:00.16, 200m backstroke 7th 1:59.03), Suzanna Hext (MC 200m freestyle 5th 2:59.98*), Jacob Whittle (100m freestyle 5th 48.39), Brodie Williams (100m backstroke 5th 54.48), Kieran Bird (200m freestyle 6th 1:46.99), Holly Hibbott (200m freestyle 6th 1:59.82, 100m butterfly 8th 1:01.38), Jack Skerry (100m backstroke 6th 54.50, 200m backstroke 6th 1:58.60), Jonothan Adam (100m backstroke 7th 54.88), Jemima Hall (200m freestyle 7th 2:00.32, 400m freestyle 8th 4:17.78), Ekaterina Price (200m butterfly 7th 2:13.38), Luke Turley (200m freestyle 7th 1:47.75), Cameron Brooker (200m backstroke 8th 1:59.97).

With thanks to Team Bath

Competition will be fierce in the London Aquatics Centre as swimmers seek not only a place on the podium but also a consideration time for this summer’s Games, with both individual and relay spots up for grabs.

Reigning Olympic Champion Tom Dean is among a sizeable contingent of Aquatics GB Performance Centre Bath swimmers who will be in action, along with fellow Olympians Kieran Bird, Jacob Peters, Jacob Whittle and Brodie Williams. Tokyo gold-medallist Freya Anderson is on the entry list but will make a last-minute decision, along with her coaches, whether to compete following a bout of glandular fever.

A host of students, coached by Mark Skimming and Andrei Vorontsov, will be representing University of Bath Swimming Club, including defending 200m butterfly champion Joshua Gammon, while Rue Fowler is competing for Team Bath AS. All train in the Olympic-standard London 2012 Legacy Pool at the Team Bath Sports Training Village.

This year’s British Swimming Championships are the first to combine both the national swimming and para-swimming events in one competition, with reigning World Champion Suzanna Hext – who does her strength and conditioning training at the University – racing in the MC (multi-classification) 100m and 200m freestyle.

Visit teambath.com/swimming to find out more about the swimming programme at the University of Bath, including the public swim-fit timetable.

Who to watch and when

BPC: Bath Performance Centre | UOB: University of Bath Swimming Club | TBAS: Team Bath AS

Tuesday 2nd April

Open/Men’s 400m Freestyle: Kieran Bird (BPC), Luke Turley (BPC), Isaac Dodds (UOB).

Women’s 200m Butterfly: Kate Baxter, Leila Flower, Ekaterina Price (all UOB).

Women’s 200m Freestyle: Freya Anderson (BPC), Holly Hibbott (BPC), Anna Farrow (UOB), Maisie Gilford (UOB), Jemima Hall (UOB), Rue Fowler (TBAS).

Women’s MC 200m Freestyle: Suzanna Hext.

Open/Men’s 100m Breaststroke: William Godsell, Christian Ryan, Sam Williamson (all UOB).

Wednesday 3rd April

Women’s 1500m Freestyle: Louise Ashford (UOB).

Open/Men’s 200m Butterfly: Joshua Gammon, Hendrik Van Der Leest (both UOB).

Women’s 200m Breaststroke: Caitlin Hartley, Emily Morgan-Hughes (both UOB).

Open/Men’s 100m Backstroke: Jono Adam (BPC), Cameron Brooker (BPC), Jack Skerry (BPC), Matthew Ward (BPC) Brodie Williams (BPC), Archie Evans (UOB).

Women’s 100m Backstroke: Ceara Barber (UOB), Charley Joyce (UOB), Niamh Ward (UOB), Rue Fowler (TBAS).

Thursday 4th April

Women’s 400m Individual Medley: Anna Farrow (UOB).

Women’s 50m Freestyle: Maisie Gilford, Annabel Smith, Jana Spinner (all UOB).

Open/Men’s 400m Individual Medley: Thomas Deffains, Isaac Dodds, Sam Williamson (all UOB).

Open/Men’s 100m Freestyle: Kieran Bird (BPC), Cameron Brooker (BPC), Tom Dean (BPC), Edward Mildred (BPC), Jack Skerry (BPC), Jacob Whittle (BPC), Kaleb Fox-Jones (UOB).

Friday 5th April

Open/Men’s 100m Butterfly: Edward Mildred (BPC), Jacob Peters (BPC), Joshua Gammon (UOB).

Women’s 400m Freestyle: Leah Crisp (BPC), Holly Hibbott (BPC), Anna Farrow (UOB), Jemima Hall (UOB).

Women’s 200m Backstroke: Charley Joyce (UOB), Niamh Ward (UOB), Rue Fowler (TBAS).

Open/Men’s 200m Individual Medley: Tom Dean (BPC), Matthew Ward (BPC), Isaac Dodds (UOB), Sam Williamson (UOB).

Saturday 6th April

Open/Men’s 800m Freestyle: Luke Turley (BPC).

Women’s 100m Butterfly: Holly Hibbott (BPC), Kate Baxter (UOB), Ekaterina Price (UOB), Annabel Smith (UOB).

Open/Men’s 200m Breaststroke: William Dean, William Godsell, Christian Ryan (all UOB).

Open/Men’s 50m Freestyle: Kaleb Fox-Jones, Ben Proud (both UOB).

Women’s 200m Individual Medley: Anna Farrow, Maisie Gifford, Emily Morgan-Hughes (all UOB).

Sunday 7th April

Women’s 800m Freestyle: Leah Crisp (BPC), Louise Ashford (UOB).

Open/Men’s 200m Backstroke: Cameron Brooker (BPC), Jack Skerry (BPC), Matthew Ward (BPC), Brodie Williams (BPC), Isaac Dodds (UOB), Archie Evans (UOB), Hendrik Van Der Leest (UOB).

Women’s 100m Breaststroke: Caitlin Hartley, Emily Morgan-Hughes (both UOB).

Women’s 100m Freestyle: Freya Anderson (BPC), Anna Farrow (UOB), Maisie Gilford (UOB), Jemima Hall (UOB), Annabel Smith (UOB), Jana Spinner (UOB), Rue Fowler (TBAS).

Women’s MC 100m Freestyle: Suzanna Hext.

Open/Men’s 200m Freestyle: Kieran Bird, Tom Dean, Edward Mildred, Luke Turley, Jacob Whittle (all BPC).

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office

The award is a testament to Ellie’s unwavering commitment to providing unparalleled swim lessons week after week. Her motivation to elevate standards and dedication to delivering a superior learning experience has set her apart. The recognition highlights Ellie’s exceptional ability to go the extra mile, ensuring her pupils receive the best possible aquatic education.

Ellie’s impact within her category extends beyond the technicalities of swimming. She has continuously improved the swimming abilities and confidence of both children and adults. Her extraordinary efforts transcend the pool’s edge, fostering an inclusive environment that allows everyone to enjoy, participate, learn, and even compete in aquatics. Ellie’s adaptability shines through as she tailors her teaching to meet the diverse needs of learners, including those with learning and physical disabilities.

In tandem with Ellie’s success, special recognition is extended to Jayne Evans of Caerphilly Leisure Centre, who achieved runner up status for the prestigious award. Jayne’s infectious enthusiasm and innovative teaching methods distinguish her as a remarkable aquatic teacher. Her unique approach, including hands-on demonstrations on poolside, has not only inspired young swimmers but propelled them from novices to open water competition participants. Jayne’s personal touch and dedication make her an exemplary figure among aquatic educators in Wales.

Leisure Lifestyle proudly notes that the Caerphilly County Borough had more nominees than any other part of Wales and takes immense pride in celebrating the accomplishments of Ellie Welsh and Jayne Evans. Their commitment to excellence aligns seamlessly with our mission to provide

Leisure Lifestyle proudly notes that the Caerphilly County Borough had more nominees than any other part of Wales and takes immense pride in celebrating the accomplishments of Ellie Welsh and Jayne Evans. Their commitment to excellence aligns seamlessly with our mission to provide exceptional leisure experiences for individuals of all ages and achieve the ambitions set out in the Sport & Active Recreation Strategy.

With thanks to Caerphilly Borough County Council

It was a fifth medal of the week for British Swimming Performance Centre Bath star Anderson, who also anchored the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay quartet to victory in a British and Championship record time.

Team-mate Jacob Peters notched his first individual international medal too, a brilliant 100m butterfly bronze, and there were multiple podium places for University of Bath Swimming Club’s Ben Proud and alumna Anna Hopkin as the British team made history with 23 medals.

Anderson, coached by David McNulty at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, provided the final flourish on Sunday by powering to a commanding victory as she reclaimed the 200m freestyle title she took in Glasgow four years ago.

“I am really happy with that,” she said. “I really had to stick to my guns in that race because everyone has different tactics, but I played to my strengths and it paid off.”

Anderson also produced a trademark storming finish to Friday’s 100m freestyle final to take bronze behind University of Bath Sport & Exercise Science graduate Hopkin, who was narrowly pipped to gold after leading from the front for much of an exciting race.

Hopkin, who had missed out on a 50m freestyle medal by just two-hundredths of a second, and Anderson had started their busy weeks by winning women’s 4x50m freestyle relay bronze with Lucy Hope and Medi Harris.

They repeated that achievement in the 4x50m medley relay, Anderson swimming the freestyle leg in the heats and Hopkin in the final, before combining with Proud and Lewis Burras to win mixed 4x50m freestyle relay gold in emphatic style.

That was a third 50m freestyle gold of the week for Proud, who clocked the second-fastest time ever of 20.18 in the men’s final and helped GB secure the men’s relay title with a new British record.

Performance Centre Bath swimmer Peters went under 50 seconds for the first time to place a fantastic third in the 100m butterfly.

“I’m happy, it’s a medal and a PB,” said Peters, who also set a new British record of 22.10 as he narrowly missed out on a 50m butterfly medal. “I still think there is more in me but it’s my first-ever individual international medal so hopefully that’s a sign of things to come. It gives me a lot of confidence going into the Olympic year.”

Peters also teamed up with Oliver Morgan, Archie Goodburn and Matt Richards to win silver in the men’s 4x50m medley relay, with fellow Bath swimmers Jono Adam and Ed Mildred also receiving medals following their important efforts in the preliminary rounds.

Mildred was seventh in the men’s 200m butterfly final, University of Bath Mechanical Engineering student Cameron Brooker – supported by an Ivor Powell Sports Scholarship – posted a new personal best to finish sixth in the 200m backstroke, and Jacob Whittle was eighth in the 100m freestyle.

The London 2012 Legacy Pool at the University of Bath, the training base for the British Swimming Performance Centre Bath squad, is open to the public too. Visit teambath.com/swimming to see the swimfit timetable.

Lead photo shows: Attached: (Left) Anna Hopkin, Freya Anderson and (right) Ben Proud – pictured with Lewis Burras after winning mixed 4x50m freestyle relay gold – enjoyed multiple podium finishes at the 2023 European Short Course Swimming Championships. 

With thanks to Team Bath

Bill Whiteley Swimming Scholar Tom Dean will be looking to extend his run of medalling at major championships after being selected alongside fellow British Swimming Performance Centre Bath athletes Jono Adam, Freya Anderson, Cameron Brooker, Ed Mildred, Jacob Peters, Jacob Whittle and Brodie Williams.

Ben Proud, who represents the University of Bath Swimming Club, is also heading to Bucharest along with University alumna Anna Hopkin.

British Swimming Head Coach Bill Furniss said: “The European Short Course Championships are a great opportunity for us to assess where the athletes are at come the end of the first training block of Olympic year.

“It will also be a great opportunity to continue building team morale as we build towards the Olympic Games, with the team list combining our more experienced swimmers with some new faces to the senior team.”

Freestyle specialist Whittle, who made his Olympic debut aged 16 at the Tokyo Games in 2021, is a new member of the Performance Centre Bath training group where he has linked up again with former coach Jamie Main.

He is among 10 Bath-based swimmers named on British Swimming’s World Class Programme (WCP) for the 2023-2024 season, joining Olympic Champions Anderson and Dean on the Podium tier as well as Peters and Williams.

Selected for the Podium Potential tier are Mechanical Engineering student Brooker, Sports Performance graduate Adam, Mildred and two more new arrivals to the Performance Centre Bath squad, Biomedical Sciences fresher Robbie Hemmings and Matthew Ward.

Proud and Hopkin are also on the Podium tier ahead of an Olympic season which will also feature European and world-level competitions and a host of other competitive opportunities.

The British Swimming Performance Centre Bath squad train in the Olympic-standard 50m pool at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, which is also open to the public. Visit teambath.com/swimming to find out more and see the public swimming timetable.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office

Closer to home, Kieran Bird and Joshua Gammon won double gold and Jemima Hall claimed a medal of each colour as University of Bath-based swimmers enjoyed an excellent British Summer Championships 2023 in Sheffield.

After narrowly missing out on the podium in the women’s 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays in Fukuoka, British Swimming Performance Centre Bath athlete Anderson anchored the mixed 4x100m freestyle quartet to a bronze medal in 3:21.68, a new British and European record.

It was Britain’s first-ever World Championships medal in the event, a second World medal of her career for Anderson and a first for Sport and Exercise Science graduate Hopkin. They were joined in the quartet by former Bath-based swimmer Matt Richards and Duncan Scott.

University of Bath sporting scholar Tom Dean also received bronze after helping Britain qualify through the morning’s heats. It was his fourth medal of the week following his 4x200m freestyle relay gold, 200m freestyle silver and 200m individual medley bronze.

Ben Proud, who represents the University of Bath Swimming Club, returned to the podium for a fourth successive major international competition by winning 50m freestyle bronze.

Meanwhile, at the British Summer Championships, British Swimming Performance Centre Bath swimmer Bird claimed victory in both the 200m freestyle (1:48.87) and 400m freestyle (3:53.24), while Sports Performance student Gammon stormed to butterfly gold over 50m (23.53) and 100m (52.20). He narrowly missed out on a hat-trick of titles, having to settle for silver in the 200m butterfly (1:58.16).

Jemima Hall – Photograph Team Bath

Business student Hall – who, like Gammon, is coached by Andrei Vorontsov with the University of Bath Swimming Club – had a busy but successful week of freestyle competition as she won 200m gold (2:00.39), silver over 100m (55.91) and 400m (4:15.99), and 50m bronze (25.87).

She also placed sixth in a 100m backstroke race that saw training partner Niamh Ward win bronze (1:01.45) to add to her 200m backstroke silver (2:12.16). Ward missed out on a third medal in the 50m final by just one-hundredth of a second (28.90).

Fresh from making her World Championships in Japan, Economics and Mathematics student Leah Crisp – supported by a Santander Scholarship – won 800m freestyle gold (8:41.97) and 1,500m freestyle bronze (16:44.18).

There were four medals for Oscar Barlow in the men’s 18-years finals – silver in the 200m backstroke (2:04.10), 200m individual medley (2:05.99) and 400m IM (4:28.94) plus bronze in the 100m backstroke (57.76).

Sport and Exercise Science student Ekaterina Price was fourth in the 200m butterfly and Economics student Miles Drabwell was fifth in both the 200m IM (2:03.40) and 200m backstroke (2:03.41). Tobi Sijuade (22.95) and Reid Jones (22.97), in his last race for the University, were sixth and seventh respectively in the 50m freestyle.

Visit teambath.com/swimming to find out more about the swimming programme at the University of Bath, including the public swim-fit timetable for the Olympic-sized pool.

With thanks to Team Bath

The Economics and Mathematics student, who is supported by a Santander Scholarship, has been selected alongside Hector Pardoe and Amber Keegan following their performances at the Sardinia leg of the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup earlier this month.

All three athletes finished inside the top 20 of their respective 10km events – after the two-per-nation rule – to ensure their qualification for this year’s World Championships, taking place at Seaside Momochi Beach Park in Fukuoka from 15-20 July.

Crisp, a member of David McNulty’s hugely-successful British Swimming Performance Centre Bath squad based at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, is making the transition from long-distance pool-based swimming, where she has won a host of medals for the University while competing in BUCS competition, to open-water marathon.

She followed up her debut senior open-water competition in Sardinia by placing 13th over the weekend in a strong women’s 10km field during the next leg of the Open Water World Cup in Setubal, Portugal.

Kevin Renshaw, British Swimming’s Performance Pathway & Distance Lead, said: “We’re all looking forward to seeing what Hector, Leah and Amber can do this summer at Worlds. They’ve had some great results in the Open Water World Cup legs and we know they have also learned some very valuable lessons in what is a hugely challenging sport, so we know all of that will help them when they go toe-to-toe with the world’s best.”

Crisp is the eighth member of the British Swimming Performance Centre Bath squad selected for the World Championships, with fellow scholars Tom Dean and Cameron Brooker among the seven pool-based swimmers heading to Fukuoka.

Applications are now being taken from current and prospective University of Bath student-athletes for the 2023-24 Sporting Scholarship programme. Visit teambath.com/scholarships to find out more.

Lead photo shows Leah Crisp (left) with GB team-mates Hector Pardoe and Amber Keegan following their World Championships marathon swimming selection.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office