image source, Getty Images
Teenager Freya Colbert is a world, European and Commonwealth medalist
On the final day of the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Great Britain’s Freya Colbert won gold in the women’s 400m medley.
Colbert, 19, powered through the final leg of his freestyle to win his first world title in 4 minutes, 37.14 seconds.
That came after Max Litchfield won the silver medal in the men’s final with a time of 4:10.40.
With all eyes on the 2024 Paris Olympics, Great Britain finished fifth in the medal standings, winning a total of 18 medals, including four gold medals.
Colbert passed second place Anastasia Gorbenko of Israel (4:37.36) (who was then booed by the audience during the interview) and bronze medalist Sara Franceschi of Italy (4:37.86). The gold medal brought the GB Championship to a perfect end. Last 100 meters.
It was Colbert’s second medal in Qatar, having been part of GB’s silver medal-winning women’s 4x200m freestyle quartet.
In the men’s final, 28-year-old Litchfield won silver behind New Zealand’s Lewis Clairvert (4:09.72), with Japan’s Daiya Seto (4:12.51) taking bronze.
Also on Sunday, Anna Hopkin took sixth place in the women’s 50m freestyle final in 24.51 seconds, while Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström won the gold medal over Kate Douglas of the United States in 23.69 seconds.
How GB won 18 medals at the World Aquatics Championships
- tom daly, daniel goodfellow, scarlett jensen and Andrea Spendrini-Siriex – 3m and 10m mixed team (diving)
- Freya Colbert – Women’s 400m medley (swimming)
- laura stevens – Women’s 200m Butterfly (Swimming)
- aiden heslop – Men’s 27m (high diving)
- grace reed – Women’s 1m springboard (diving)
- tom daly and Noah Williams – Men’s 10m synchronized (diving)
- max litchfield – Men’s 400m medley (swimming)
- Freya Colbert, abby wood, Lucy Hope and medi harris – Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay (swimming)
- Kate Shortman and Isabel Thorpe – Women’s Duet Technical (Artistic Swimming)
- ross haslam – Men’s 1m springboard (diving)
- Andrea Spendrini-Siriex – Women’s 10 meter dash (diving)
- Andrea Spendrini-Siriex and lois toulson – Women’s 10m synchronized (diving)
- Scarlet Mew Jensen and yasmin harper – Women’s 3m synchronized (diving)
- adam peaty – Men’s 100m breaststroke (swimming)
- Benjamin Proud – Men’s 50m freestyle (swimming)
- medi harris, adam peaty, Matthew Richards and Anna Hopkin – Mixed 4x100m medley relay (swimming)
- Kate Shortman and Isabel Thorpe – Free women’s duet (artistic swimming)
- hector pardo – Men’s 10km (open water swimming)
How are GB’s stars preparing for Paris?
Colbert and first world title for GB swimmers laura stevensThe women’s 200m butterfly was definitely a highlight.
Stevens, 24, won on Thursday to become Britain’s first individual women’s world champion since Rebecca Adlington in 2011, while Colbert became the second in four days.
As a three-time Olympic champion, there were many other positives as well. adam peaty He took a break from the sport due to mental health issues, but returned to the podium at the world championships for the first time in five years.
The 29-year-old won bronze in the men’s 100m breaststroke and helped GB finish as runners-up in the 4x100m mixed medley relay, but finished fourth in the 50m breaststroke, just missing out on the podium.
A world record holder in the 50m event, Peaty became the first British swimmer to hold an Olympic title over 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, and was also part of the winning world record-setting 4x100m mixed medley team. there were.
made an international comeback, tom daly Aiming to participate in the Olympics for the fifth time as a partner with him Noah Williams He won the men’s 10m synchro silver medal and secured a spot for GB in the Paris competition.
Daly, 29, retired from competition in August 2021 after winning gold in the same event in Tokyo.
Returning to the world stage, he helped GB win team gold and, along with Williams, achieved the top-four finish needed to secure an Olympic berth.
The team’s gold medal member, 19 years old Andrea Spendrini-Siriex She won three medals, winning bronze in the 10-meter individual event and the synchro event.
On the other hand, artistic swimmers Izzy Thorpe and Kate Shortman At this championship, the 22-year-old became the first British pair to win a duet world medal with technical silver, before winning bronze in the free duet.
‘British swimmers impressed by Peaty’s big step’
Analysis by former world champion Karen Pickering
It was an interesting World Championship with many athletes participating to gain valuable racing experience and the opportunity to participate in multiple races.
Among them was Duncan Scott, who imposed a very demanding schedule on himself, but achieved a top-four finish in the final and qualified for the Olympics with the men’s 4x100m freestyle team. did. That was really important to England. Paris will be a great chance to win a medal.
It was really nice to see Adam Peaty back racing and on the podium. It was a big step for him.
Petey’s biggest rival, Haiyang Qin, was not in Doha, but the quality of the men’s breaststroke is so high that it will always be a tough race. He handled everything really well.
Laura Stevens’ gold medal was unexpected, but she always had real potential. It was a very good time. That will give her a big boost towards Paris.
An impressive result for GB and really good race practice without having to wait too long until the Olympic Trials in April.