Oliver Morgan breaks British 100m backstroke record that had stood since 2009; retains British Championship title and qualifies for Paris Olympics after clocking 52.70 in London; Kathleen Dawson wins women's 100m backstroke to reach this summer's Games
Wednesday 3 April 2024 23:23, UK
Oliver Morgan set a new British men's 100 metre backstroke record to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The 20-year-old retained his British Championship title and secured his spot in France this summer after clocking 52.70 to eclipse the previous record set by Liam Tancock 15 years ago.
Morgan finished well inside the Olympic qualifying time to take gold ahead of Jonathon Marshall and Luke Greenbank.
"If you asked me two years ago if I would be in this position I'd have said there's no way," said Morgan, who did not start competing at national level until he was 16.
"I can't put it into words. It proves you don't have to be there as a youngster. I did what I enjoyed when I was young. I played football and mountain biked."
Scotland's Kathleen Dawson won the women's 100m backstroke title in an Olympic qualifying time to seal her place for Paris after three years of injury problems.
Elsewhere, 14-year-old Amelie Blocksidge retained her women's 1500m freestyle title, finishing finished three seconds outside her personal best in 16.13:39 and well adrift of the Olympic qualification time.
Scotland's Kara Hanlon swam a new lifetime's best of 2:24.59 after a strong finish to win the women's 200m breaststroke.
Joshua Gammon won gold in the men's 200m butterfly in a new personal best of 1.56:95, just outside the Olympic qualifying time.
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