Holly Coasts into Team England

SOUTHPORT swimmer Holly Hibbott has been selected to represent Team England at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Queensland, Australia.

Stockport Metro swimmer Hibbott is ranked fastest in England in the 800m freestyle and made the qualifying time for selection earlier in the year.

The 2017 World Championship finalist from Southport made her mark on the senior swimming ranks in Britain by taking gold in the 800m freestyle and silver in the 400m freestyle at the British Swimming Championships 2017.

James Guy, Luke Greenbank and Freya Anderson have also been selected.

Guy from Bury, who trains at National Centre in Bath, is no stranger to the world stage.

He made his senior international debut at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona and has claimed medals at every major meet since. At the recent swimming world championships in Budapest, he claimed bronze in the 100m butterfly, lowering an eight-year-old British record twice on his way to the podium.

For Wirral-born Anderson, this will be her second outing as a member of a senior international squad, having qualified for the 2017 World Championships after winning her first national title in April. At 16-years-old she is the youngest swimmer on the team and is currently seeded first in Britain for the 100m freestyle.

Cockermouth swimmer Greenbank is also relatively new to the senior international scene. The Loughborough-based swimmer qualified for his first world championships after defending his 200m backstroke title at the British Swimming Championships, and also making the qualifying time for selection for Team England.

Hibbott, Guy, Anderson and Greenbank are four of the 15 athletes to be announced by Team England following the first phase of selections by Swim England.

The remaining athletes will be selected following qualification at the Swim England National Winter Championships 2017 tak- ing place in December.

Team Leader Grant Robins said: “This is an exciting team that has been selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“We have a wealth of experience from athletes that know what it takes to win.

“We also have a number of new athletes that will be taking the step up and experiencing a multisport event for the first time. I know the team will work hard in their home programmes to be the best they can be when they step on the plane to the Gold Coast.”

The announcement comes as Team England celebrates six months before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games on April 4, 2018.