British squad using World Aquatics Champs as dry-run for Olympics
BySportsbeat
Updated 24/04/2019 at 15:56 GMT
Chris Spice is keen to use this summer's FINA World Aquatics Championships as a dress rehearsal for the 2020 Olympic Games after naming a 25-strong British team.
Adam Peaty in Glasgow
Image credit: Getty Images
British Swimming national performance director Spice has included five defending world champions in the group – headlined by Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty – for the Championships in Gwangju, from 12-28 July.
Ben Proud, Duncan Scott, Calum Jarvis and James Guy are the other swimmers set to defend titles in South Korea, with Peaty gunning for a hat-trick of double golds in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.
At the last Worlds in Hungary, Proud took gold and bronze in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle, while Guy, Jarvis and Scott formed part of the winning men's 4x200m freestyle relay team.
With Scott McLay and Laura Stephens set to make their senior international debuts this summer, Spice is convinced the team have the perfect blend of youth and experience just a year out from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
"We had another great British Championships in Glasgow where we saw some exceptional individual performances from our established group of senior swimmers," he said.
"In particular Duncan Scott, Adam Peaty, James Wilby, Max Litchfield and Ross Murdoch continued to show their class.
"And of course, who could forget the brilliant 1500m freestyle swim from Dan Jervis that had everybody on their feet and really set the Championships alight.
"The selectors were also pleased to see that some younger athletes have grabbed the opportunity that we gave them at last year's Europeans to step up and make this team.
"As we look towards Tokyo, the challenge now for the whole team is to move this on in the summer and swim a season's best under the spotlights in Gwangju.
"Now that the team is finalised we will head to a team preparation camp in June, with all athletes and staff getting together for two legs of the Mare Nostrum series in Canet and Barcelona.
"We have also been fortunate to secure our pre-World's holding camp in Yokohama this year, which will also form a dress rehearsal for our preparations for Tokyo 2020."
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