Evans gets call to join Team GB at Olympics
CAMBRIDGE-BORN SWIMMER ANGHARAD HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR THE PARIS GAMES
CAMBRIDGE swimmer Angharad Evans has fulfilled a lifelong dream of Olympic selection for Team GB, writes Ben Hart.
Debutant Evans, 20, is among the 33-strong swimming team selected to represent Great Britain in the French capital.
She first gained senior recognition with a bronze medal at the 2019 British Summer Championships and will now step onto the world stage as GB seek to better the record eight medals won in Tokyo.
Aquatics GB Performance Director Chris Spice, who will lead the team, said: “This is such an exciting group of athletes that we will be taking to Paris this summer.
“We cannot wait to see how this team comes together with the aim of swimming faster in the summer.
“We know each and every athlete can do that, and that would put us in a very good place in Paris, where we are relishing having packed crowds and plenty of British support roaring us on.”
Evans’ Olympic dreams developed in Athens but not the location of the 2004 Games.
Instead, the Cambridge-born swimmer began her university career in the United States at the University of Georgia’s Athens campus.
Evans has since swapped the state famous for peaches for the Scottish swimming stronghold of Stirling, a move that has led her to a first Olympic Games.
She previously set the national U13 record in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke and came close to the senior equivalent in the latter as she staked her claim for Paris 2024 at the British Swimming Championships.
Evans missed Molly Renshaw’s time by just 0.06 seconds before going to claim her first national title with victory in the final which was enough to earn her a place at a debut Olympic Games.
In Paris, Evans will benefit from Aldi’s Nearest & Dearest programme. The programme will help maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance and make the most of the unique opportunity to compete on one of the world’s largest stages.
Adam Peaty headlines the squad fresh from after setting the fastest 100m backstroke time of the year at the British Championships following a turbulent couple of years in which he has struggled with injuries and his mental health.
Peaty said: “I’m thrilled to have made my third Olympic team. It’s always amazing to be part of Team GB, but with it being so close to home in Paris this summer, and us having more home fans there supporting us, it’s even more exciting.”
Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024