Ones to watch
Find out a bit more about some of the top swimmers competing at the 2013 British Gas International Swimming Meet in Leeds.
Simply select the name of your favourite swimmer from the drop down menu below to find out more about them.
Name: Michael Jamieson
Date of birth: 5th August 1988
Training Base: British Gas ITC Bath
Coach: Dave McNulty
Top Results: Michael won Commonwealth silver for 200m Breaststroke in 2010 before winning Olympic silver in the same event at London 2012 last year.
2012 Season: The best season of his career, Michael was the only British male to land an Olympic medal in the swimming pool as he smashed the British record for 200m Breaststroke silver. He closed his year by replicating the result in the same event at the World Short Course Championships.
Did you know: An avid Celtic FC fan, Michael's Olympic final was shown live on the big screens at Celtic Park before their home Champions League qualifier against HJK Helsinki.
In Action: Friday 8th March in 100m Breaststroke, Saturday 9th March in 200m Breaststroke.
Name: Liam Tancock
Date of birth: 7th May 1985
Training Base: British Gas ITC Loughborough
Coach: James Gisbon
Top Result: Liam has won a 50m Backstroke medal at the past four consecutive World Championships including gold at the past two stagings. He is also reigning Commonwealth champion for 50m and 100m Backstroke.
2012 Season: Liam comfortably won a fourth consecutive British 100m Backstroke title at the Olympic Trials in London before achieving career best Olympic results at London 2012 of fifth in the 100m Backstroke and fourth as part of the 4x100m Medley Relay quartet.
Did you know: By winning 50m Backstroke gold at the 2011 World Champs, Liam became on the second British male swimmer in history to defend a world title.
In Action: Saturday 9th March in 100m Backstroke, Sunday 10th March in 50m Backstroke.
Name: James Goddard
Date of birth: 30th March 1983
Training Base: Stockport Metro
Coach: Sean Kelly
Top Result: James won double gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, defending his 200m Backstroke title and adding the 200m Individual Medley crown.
2012 Season: After qualifying for his third Olympics at the British Gas Championships, James won European Championship silver over 200m Individual Medley before reaching the London 2012 Olympic final in the same event and finishing seventh.
Did you know: James is a Manchester City FC fan and wore a blue swimming cap at London 2012 rather than the team standard of red.
In Action: Friday 8th March in 200m Butterfly, Saturday 9th March in 200m Breaststroke.
Name: Francesca Halsall
Date of birth: 12th April 1990
Training Base: British Gas ITC Loughborough
Coach: James Gibson
Top Result: Fran won 100m Freestyle silver at the 2009 World Championships before 100m Free gold at the Europeans and 50m Fly gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
2012 Season: Fran had a typically busy schedule at her 2012 events, qualifying for London 2012 with two golds and a silver at the Olympic Trials before making four finals (two individually, two relay) at the Games. She finished her season with 50m Freestyle silver at the World Short Course Championships.
Did you know: Fran was named Sunday Times Young Sportswoman of the Year in 2010 after winning 10 medals across the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in 100m Freestyle, Saturday 9th March in 50m Freestyle.
Name: Jemma Lowe
Date of birth: 31st March 1990
Training Base: British Gas ITC Swansea
Coach: Bud McAllister
Top Result: Jemma is one of Great Britain's top international performers, having won medals at the past three World Short Course Championships. Her top individual long course result was 100m Butterfly bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games but Jemma reached the 200m Butterfly final at both the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympic Games.
2012 Season: Typically solid season from Jemma. She qualified for her second Olympics at the British Gas Swimming Championships before reaching the 200m Butterfly final and finishing sixth. Later in the year, she impressed at the World Short Course Championships, winning 100m Butterfly bronze in a Welsh record and 200m Butterfly bronze in a British record.
Did you know: After making the Olympic final in Beijing 2008, Jemma moved to Florida to study and train for 18 months before returning to the British Gas ITC in Swansea.
In Action: Friday 8th March in 200m Freestyle, Saturday 9th March in 200m Butterfly, Sunday 10th March in 100m Butterfly.
Name: Hannah Miley
Date of birth: 8th August 1989
Training Base: Garioch SC
Coach: Patrick Miley
Top Result: Hannah is one of the most decorated members of the British Gas GBR Swimming team, having won Commonwealth, European, World Short Course and European Short Course gold over 400m Individual Medley since 2010. She also won World Championship silver in the same event in 2011.
2012 Season: After double gold at the British Gas Swimming Championships, Hannah reached both Individual Medley finals at London 2012, finishing seventh (200m) and fifth (400m) respectively. She also impressed in the short course season, becoming world champion over 400m Individual Medley with a European record swim in December.
Did you know: Hannah's father and coach Patrick Miley invented the Aquapacer - a metronome-type device worn under the swim cap to help a swimmer's pacing in training.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in 200m Individual Medley, 800m Freestyle, Friday 8th March in 400m Individual Medley, 200m Freestyle, Saturday 9th March in 200m Butterfly, 100m Breaststroke, Sunday 10th March in 400m Freestyle, 200m Backstroke.
Name: Ranomi Kromowidjojo
Date of birth: 20th August 1990
Training Base: Eindhoven
Coach: Jacco Verhaeren
Top Result: After World Championship silver (50m Freestyle) and bronze (100m Freestyle) in 2011, Ranomi claimed double gold (50m and 100m Freestyle) at the 2012 Olympic Games.
2012 Season: Named European Swimmer of the Year by LEN after double individual gold over 50m and 100m Freestyle (and a 4x100m Freestyle Relay silver thrown in for good measure) at the Olympic Games.
Did you know: Ranomi contracted meningitis at a training camp in 2010, causing her to miss the European Championships that season.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in 50m Backstroke and 100m Freestyle, Friday 8th March in 200m Freestyle, Saturday 9th March in 50m Freestyle, Sunday 10th March in 100m Butterfly.
Name: Ruta Meilutyte
Date of birth: 19th March 1997
Training Base: Plymouth Leander SC
Coach: Jon Rudd
Top Result: Ruta shocked the world of swimming by storming to 100m Breaststroke gold as a 15-year old at London 2012.
2012 Season: Her breakthrough year. Ruta became Lithuania's youngest ever Olympic champion (in any sport) with 100m Breaststroke gold then won 50m and 100m Breaststroke gold at the World Short Course Championships in December.
Did you know: Ruta was born in Kaunas but moved to Plymouth when she was 13 to live with her father and brothers.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in 100m Freestyle, Friday 8th March in 100m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, Saturday 9th March in 50m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke, Sunday 10th March in 50m Breaststroke.
Name: Eleanor Simmonds
Date of birth: 11th November 1994
Training Base: Swansea HPC
Coach: Billy Pye
Top Result: Four golds, a silver and a bronze from two Paralympics. Another four golds from the 2010 World Championships. And she's still only 18.
2012 Season: Another record-breaking season in the life of Ellie Simmonds. Became the first world record breaker at London Aquatics Centre at the British Gas Swimming Championships. Was then one of the faces of the 2012 Paralympics, delivering one of the moments of the Games with an epic S6 400m Freestyle gold after a nail-biting race against USA's Victoria Arlen.
Did you know: Having become the youngest person to receive an MBE after her double gold in Beijing 2008, Ellie was awarded an OBE after her two golds at London 2012.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in MC 100m Freestyle, MC 100m Backstroke, Friday 8th March in MC 400m Freestyle, MC 100m Butterfly, Saturday 9th March in MC 200m Individual Medley, Sunday 10th March in MC 50m Freestyle, MC 100m Breaststroke.
Name: Jessica-Jane Applegate
Date of birth: 22nd August 1996
Training Base: City of Norwich SC
Coach: Alex Pinniger
Top Result: Competing at her first senior international Championships, Jessica-Jane won Paralympic gold over 200m Freestyle in the S14 category at London 2012.
2012 Season: As well as her breakthrough Paralympic gold medal, Jessica-Jane set nine British records in the S14 classification in the long and short course pool.
Did you know: Jessica-Jane says photography was her favourite subject at school.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in MC 100m Freestyle, MC 100m Backstroke, Friday 8th March in MC 200m Freestyle, MC 100m Butterfly, Sunday 10th March in MC 50m Freestyle, MC 100m Breaststroke.
Name: Oliver Hynd
Date of birth: 27th October 1994
Training Base: Nova Centurion
Coach: Glenn Smith
Top Result: Ollie has been one of the top international performers in the S8 class over the past two years, winning gold (400m Individual Medley), silver (400m Freestyle) and bronze (100m Backstroke) at the 2011 European Championships then repeating the exact same results on his Paralympic debut at London 2012.
2012 Season: A hat-trick of medals to celebrate his Paralympic debut, Ollie's 200m Individual Medley gold being the highlight as he beat his own European record to top the podium at London 2012.
Did you know: Ollie is a big table tennis fan and says he would be playing ping-pong if he wasn't a world class swimmer.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in MC 100m Backstroke, Friday 8th March in MC 400m Freestyle, Saturday 8th March in MC 200m Individual Medley.
Name: Josef Craig
Date of birth: 17th February 1997
Training Base: South Tyneside Swim Team
Coach: Paul Robinson
Top Result: Josef sprang one of the biggest surprises of the 2012 Paralympics, breaking the world record in the heats and final to win S7 400m Freestyle gold on his Paralympic debut in London.
2012 Season: After showing encouraging signs throughout the season, Josef broke through as a 15-year old at the Paralympics, winning S7 400m Freestyle gold in emphatic fashion. In December, he claimed his second big prize, winning BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Did you know: Josef is friends with Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall, both being patrons of South Tyneside charity Cancer Connections.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in MC 100m Freestyle, Friday 8th March in MC 400m Freestyle, Saturday 9th March in MC 50m Butterfly, MC 200m Individual Medley, Sunday 10th March in MC 50m Freestyle.
Name: Jonathan Fox
Date of birth: 30th May 1991
Training Base: Manchester HPC
Coach: Mick Massey
Top Result: Coming into 2012, Jon was European champion, world champion and world record holder over S7 100m Backstroke. He completed his set with Paralympic gold at London 2012.
2012 Season: Having won silver at the Paralympics in 2008, Jon finally got his hands on Paralympic gold in the S7 100m Backstroke at London 2012. He also set world records over 50m and 100m Backstroke during the season.
Did you know: Winning his Paralympic gold on the first night of the Games, Jon became the first British athlete to stand on the top of the podium in the Aquatics Centre at London 2012.
In Action: Thursday 7th March in MC 100m Backstroke, Friday 8th March in MC 400m Freestyle, Sunday 10th March in MC 50m Freestyle.
