Road to Paris 2024: Swimmers dive into Olympic trials whilst Page jumps to a European double

Swimming 08 Apr 24

Swimming stole the headlines as Britain’s best battled it out at the London Aquatics Centre and Bryony Page catapulted to two more trampolining European golds.

Sensational swims see Paris places booked

Matt Richards rounded off a remarkable week in the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, winning the 200m freestyle, joined by Duncan Scott and Tom Dean on the podium.

Labelled as one of the most competitive domestic races in British history, James Guy placed fourth to make up the same 4x200m freestyle quartet that will aim for an Olympic title defence in the summer.

Adam Peaty made a statement on his way to an Olympic three-peat, clocking a time of 57.94 in the 100m breaststroke, a world-leading time this year and a full second inside Paris nomination.

Scott set up another gold tilt with a stunning performance in the 200m medley, posting 1:55.91, the second-fastest time of his career, as Dean placed 0.53 seconds behind for silver.

Among a flurry of other Paris tickets booked, Ollie Morgan shone in the 100m backstroke, breaking a 15-year British record with 52.70 to tee up his maiden Games.

Max Litchfield soared to a British record in the 400m individual medley to punch his ticket with 4:09.14 while Abbie Wood smashed her 200m individual medley time to make the Olympic nomination time.

Keanna MacInnes, Freya Colbert, Lucy Hope and Medi Harris all also ensured they will be on the Eurostar to the French capital in the summer.

What they said:

Richards said: “I'm living the dream, this is what I've always wanted to do and I couldn't be happier.

"The goal in the summer is just to win as much gold as we possibly can.

“I'll dream big, work really hard over the next few months leading into it and the world is your oyster.

Scott said: "Last time in Olympic year, I was 1:55.9 here. I'm not saying that equals what I'll go this summer, but that's a good indicator.

“It's a really early trials, so I guess with that, laying down a solid 1:55 is quite nice.”

What’s next:

Swimmers' places at Paris 2024 are subject to official selection but athletes will hope to tune up at the first Mare Nostrum meet of the season in Canet on 25-26 May.

Page bags back-to-back European titles in Portugal

Bryony Page successfully defended her individual and synchronised European titles in Portugal at the European Championships in Trampoline, Double Mini-Trampoline and Tumbling.

The reigning world individual champion posted a score of 55.630, enough to claim victory in the individual event with her expected routine for Paris 2024.

The Olympic silver medallist had earlier joined forces with Izzy Songhurst to pip France and Georgia in the synchronised event.

Page’s achievements follow more success in the Paris run-in as she and Songhurst secured the maximum of two Olympic quota spaces in March.

Elsewhere, Corey Walkes and Zak Perzamanos won the men's title with 51.940 to beat France and Portugal.

What they said:

"It was really important to me to put out the routines that I wanted to do [at the Olympics], said Page.

"I hoped for the best outcome, so I'm really happy with the result in the synchro yesterday and the individual competition today."

What’s next:

Page will undergo internal qualification and selection in a bid to medal at her third consecutive Olympics.

Georgi makes Paris Roubaix Femmes podium statement

Pfeiffer Georgi celebrated a first Paris-Roubaix podium with a late surge in a photo finish to pip Marianne Vos to bronze.

The Lambeth-born road cyclist was having dirt wiped from her eyes, recovering from her efforts at the Vélodrome André-Petrieux before her name flashed on the big screen to confirm her third place.

The two-time British champion forged her path to the podium by leading from the front in the velodrome before holding her own on the finishing straight after being overtaken by world champion Lotte Kopecky.

Georgi is the only British rider other than Lizzie Deignan to finish in the top 10 at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, having done so on three occasions, but her first podium was made sweeter in an Olympic year.

What they said:

"I believed coming into this race that I deserved or belonged in that top group, but it's obviously nice to have that confirmation and reassurance that I am at that level.

“This result shows what I believed I had the potential to do this spring.

“I think it's really nice to carry forward for the rest of this year and also again next year when I hope to make another step up.”

What’s next:

Georgi has the opportunity to defend her national title at the National Road Championships in June.

Paris 2024 venue open for business

Beth Shriever and Ross Cullen christened the Paris BMX racing venue with golden performances at the recent Olympic test event.

Testing a new competition format, tournament operations and track at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium, the two Brits came out on top in an exciting first look at the Olympic venue.

The stadium was open for competition for the first time ever as the world's best riders descended on the track in Paris for three days of racing.

Reigning Olympic champion Shriever stormed to gold in the women's event in a time of 36.305 before Cullen took the spoils over home favourites Arthur Pilard and Jeremy Rencurel by over half a second.

What's next:

The UCI BMX racing World Cup returns later in April as riders travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma for round five on the 27 April.

Micky Beckett wins third consecutive Trofeo Princesa Sofia title

Micky Beckett romped to a third ILCA 7 title in a row at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta in Mallorca.

The 28-year-old dominated proceedings all week, though a disqualification in the seventh race left him vulnerable.

But Beckett still triumphed over Australian rival and world champion Matt Wearn, who pipped Beckett at the World Championships and the Olympic Test event last year.

He topped the 193-boat fleet with a day to spare as Olympic teammates John Gimson and Anna Burnet won bronze in the Nacra 17 class.

What they said:

“It leaves me in a good place, there is still plenty of work to do and managing form is probably the most important thing of any athlete’s job.

“There is no point being the best in the world unless you are the best in the world when it counts.

“I do need to manage my fitness and make sure I take some rest when I need it and slowly build into the summer and try to keep everything under control to pace myself.”

What’s next:

Beckett, with his Paris 2024 place confirmed, heads to Hyères in the south of France for French Olympic Week where he will look to build on his performance with an eye for the Games.

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