Swimmers to represent Team England at Commonwealth Games confirmed

A further 38 athletes have been selected to represent Team England at this summer’s Commonwealth Games. 

It means a total of 48 swimmers will be donning Team England colours at Birmingham 2022 after 10 were pre-selected for the competition in January.

The final squad comprises Olympic medallists through to those making their Commonwealth Games debuts. 

Team England’s Chef de Mission, Mark England OBE, welcomed the swimmers to the team.

He said: “We’re very pleased to welcome 38 more swimmers to Team England for the home Commonwealth Games this summer. 

“This completes our Swimming and Para Swimming team of 48 athletes in total.

“I’m looking forward to watching them compete and Bring It Home in the pool over the six days this summer.”

Among the athletes named were para-swimmer Rebecca Redfern, Jay Lelliott, Imogen Clark and Freya Colbert, who were unveiled in Team England kit at Birmingham’s Moseley Road Baths. 

Rebecca honoured 

Redfern, who will make her Commonwealth Games debut having won two silver medals at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The Worcester swimmer is relishing the opportunity to compete in front of her family and friends at a major event so close to home and admits it’s a huge honour to be selected.

She said: “It’s really exciting to have a home Games that’s so close to my home.

“My family can come and watch and support and it’ll be really exciting for my little boy to come and see mummy swim for the first time.

“Especially compared to Tokyo having a crowd back is really exciting – having fans back creating noise and excitement.

“It’s the first time I’ve competed at an integrated Championships with both para and able-bodied athletes as well so that’s really exciting to train, live and compete together as one team so that we can learn from each other.

“I’m really honoured to be part of the team and so excited for it to start.”

Jay’s rewarding feeling

City of Sheffield’s Jay Lelliott will also be making his first Commonwealth Games appearance and said being selected was also a reward for his family, club team-mates and friends who had supported him on his swimming journey.

He said: “I have goals and this the first stage of my goal.

“It’s a huge relief to get through this period because I know what I’m capable of.

“Obviously the first hurdle is you can turn up [at British Champs] in the best shape of your life and if two or three people beat you you’re out of contention.

“So it’s all about turning up and being in the best shape possible. It’s such a relief but I’m now so excited to get my head down for the Commonwealths in the summer now.

“I’ve got so many great people back at home, all of my squad at the City of Sheffield Swim Club are so excited, my partner Abby was over the moon for me.

“My family and all my friends knowing about it has been such a heart-warming time and so I feel like I’m not just doing it for me. 

“Though I swim for me, I feel like I’ve also got the whole of my team that helped me get to this point and that’s just such a rewarding feeling to get there not just for me but for them as well.”

The swimmers will look to ‘Bring it Home’ at The Sandwell Aquatics Centre from 29 July to 3 August.

Team England’s swimming team was second on the medal table at the 2018 Gold Coast Games with a total of 24 medals – nine gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals.