- Written by Tom Brown
- BBC Sport Wales
image source, Getty Images
Matt Richards becomes Wales' first world swimming champion in 2023
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British Swimming Championships 2024 |
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date: April 2nd – 7th venue: London Aquatics Center time: The morning session starts at 10:00 GMT. Final session starts at 19:00 |
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coverage: The final session will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Daily report on the BBC Sport website |
Olympic and world champion Matt Richards is aiming for a special summer at the Paris Olympics.
But he will have to secure his position through an “intense” trial in Britain next week.
The 2024 British Swimming Championships, which begin on Tuesday, will double as Olympic and Paralympic trials.
The event concludes with the men's 200m freestyle final in what could be one of the most competitive national events in history.
Olympic cash medalists, silver medalists, current world champions and former world champions will participate, but only the top two will be guaranteed a spot at this summer's Olympics.
“The depth of British men's freestyle is exceptional,” Richards, 22, told BBC Sport Wales.
“I think it would be hard to find a men's event anywhere in the world that has such depth at the top end like the British men's 200m freestyle. It's really intense.
“I think we have to expect that the difference between competing as an individual and just competing as part of a relay is probably only a few tenths.” [of a second] At most. That's all we're talking about here. In a pool about the length of your hand. It's so close.
“But I think it adds to the excitement of the race.”
Reigning Olympic champion Tom Dean, Olympic silver medalist Duncan Scott and former world champion James Guy will rival Richards to guarantee a coveted top two finish and place on Team GB.
These four athletes together won gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay at Tokyo 2020.
Richards' individual world title at this event last summer cemented his reputation among the top tier of British and world-class swimmers.
But it also confirmed his return to form after a difficult 2022 that saw him drop to 30th in the world.
“In 2022 I went backwards,” he admitted. “I was still able to maintain my place in the relay, but individually I was just one step short of where I wanted to be.
“There were days when I doubted my abilities. It's so easy to think, 'Have I reached my peak?' Am I at the point where it's all downhill from here? That was really scary. “Because it's been my dream since I was a student.'' Potentially, the possibility of that becoming impossible was looming.
“But I think deep down I always believed in myself.”
Richards was training with Dean and Guy in Bath. But he knew a change had to be made.
After considering many options, a two-hour conversation with coach Ryan Livingstone convinced me to start training with him at Millfield School in Somerset.
They scrapped his training program and started anew.
“the 1711732872 It’s very, very specific,” Richards explains.
“Because of my physiology, I do very well in very high-intensity, top-end workouts: race pace, speed, anaerobic stuff. And very low-end aerobic stuff. , some are very easy throws.”
“So for me the top end and bottom end are very good, but the middle zone is really struggling to work in that area. That was kind of the area I was working on in 2022. But I now know that it doesn't work for me.” ”
Matt Richards aims for a special summer at the Paris Olympics
Richards admits that he likes to ask “why” and understand the theory behind training. In his own words, once he knows why he is doing something, it becomes easier for him to give his all to make it successful.
Ryan Livingston says he always has someone to give him answers.
Within a few months, their new partnership began to bear fruit.
At the 2023 World Championships last June, Richards not only won the men's 200m freestyle title, he also ran the 50m freestyle under 22 seconds, the 100m freestyle under 48 seconds, and the 100m freestyle under 1 minute 45 seconds. He became the first swimmer in history to do so. Second 200m freestyle.
These performances have left Richards dreaming of a special summer in Paris, with up to six relay events available. If next week's all-important exam goes as planned.
“Assuming everything goes perfectly, we're hoping to have a really busy summer,” Richards said.
“I want to win as many medals as possible, both individually and in relays, and make my country proud.
“But can you say it's guaranteed? No, not at all. I respect everyone, but I'm going to do too many races to say it can be done right now. But if we qualify,” if we compete in five or six different events, including relays, the absolute goal is to win every event, and we'll see how close we can get to that in the summer. I’m going to see it.”
For Richards, the disappointment of 2022 is long gone. In fact, he's grateful for what he learned from the experience.
Now he is looking only ahead.
Major hurdles remain in his path to Paris. But if he can get through it at the trials, it could indeed be just the start of a special summer.
