Eight English athletes heading to World Short Course Championships

Olympic champions Tom Dean and Freya Anderson are among eight English swimmers who will represent Great Britain at December’s World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi.

They are part of a 13-strong team which will compete in the first international meet for a British Swimming squad since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Dean and Anderson are joined by two other Tokyo gold medallists – Duncan Scott and Matthew Richards – while six other Olympic finalists have also been included in the team.

FINA’s World Short Course Championships take place at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates’ Yas Bay, from 16th-21st December.

Dean and Scott recorded the first British gold-and-silver finish – in the Men’s 200m Freestyle – for more than a century, before the pair combined with Richards and James Guy to secure Men’s 4x200m Freestyle glory.

Anderson, meanwhile, played her part in Britain’s team clinching the inaugural Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay title.

Cameron Kurle, Max Litchfield, Edward Mildred, Ben Proud, Molly Renshaw and Abbie Wood make up the English swimmers selected for the championships.

Incredible performances

Chris Spice, British Swimming national performance director, said: “There have been so many incredible performances from our swimmers in 2021, and this World Short Course Championships will be a final opportunity in the year for them to test themselves against the world’s best.

“The short-course nature of the meet provides unique chances for the athletes to fine-tune certain race techniques and skills as we gear up for what will be a non-stop year in 2022, with World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

“It will also be good for this tight-knit team to come together again.

“One highlight of our Tokyo experience was how close the entire team were, helping each other throughout the Games – and meets like this one in Abu Dhabi play their part in building those vital bonds.”

European champion Wood added: “I’m really excited to get back racing on a big, international stage off the back of Tokyo with this team.

“Hopefully it will be a good kickstart to the new, busy season.”

British Swimming team selected to compete at the FINA World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE (16-21 December 2021):

  • Freya Anderson – England, Bath National Centre
  • Tom Dean – England, Bath National Centre
  • Lucy Hope – Scotland, University of Stirling
  • Daniel Jervis – Wales, Swansea University
  • Cameron Kurle – England, University of Stirling
  • Max Litchfield – England, Loughborough National Centre
  • Edward Mildred – England, Bath National Centre
  • Ben Proud – England, University of Bath
  • Molly Renshaw – England, Loughborough National Centre
  • Matthew Richards – Wales, Bath National Centre
  • Duncan Scott – Scotland, University of Stirling
  • Katie Shanahan – Scotland, City of Glasgow Swim Team
  • Abbie Wood – England, Loughborough National Centre
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