Max Litchfield wins World Short Course silver for 400m IM

Max Litchfield set a British record to win 400m Individual Medley silver at the 2016 World Short Course Championships in Windsor, Canada.

The City of Sheffield swimmer clocked 4:00.66 to touch behind Japan’s Daiya Seto (3:59.24).

Litchfield was in lane four for the final, having qualified fastest from the heats in a PB 4:03.56.

And while Seto took a firm grip on pole position in the backstroke leg, Litchfield paced his race well to join him on the podium.

The English swimmer was lying fourth through the majority of the race. But the 21-year old had plenty in reserve for the final 100m of freestyle, charging home with splits of 28.27 and 27.05.

Litchfield’s sprint propelled him ahead of David Verraszto as the reigning European long and short course champion finished third in 4:01.56.

The Sheffield swimmer’s time also smashed Joe Roebuck’s long-standing British record of 4:01.63 from the 2009 European Short Course Championships in Istanbul.

Breakthrough season for Litchfield in 2016

Litchfield’s result brought him his maiden major international medal at the end of what has been a breakthrough season in 2016.

After winning British Championship gold to kick off the season, he made the 400m IM final at London 2016 European Championships.

Two months later, the English swimmer set an English record 4:11.62 to finished fourth in the same event on his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, touched out of the medals by Seto.

  •  Click here to view results from the 2016 World Short Course Championships
Top