Jedburgh swimmer Lucy Hope off to world championships in Qatar as part of build-up to Olympics
The 26-year-old – a mixed 4x50m freestyle gold medallist at last month’s European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Romania – is one of four Scots in the British team heading to Doha, along with Kathleen Dawson, Duncan Scott and Grace Reid.
Hope picked up a 4x100m mixed freestyle bronze medal at last July’s world championships in Japan so she’ll be hoping to follow that up with further success this time round to help book a place at this year’s Olympics in France.
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Hide AdShe’s one of nine medallists from 2023’s world championships in Fukuoka selected for the Doha trip, including double world champion Matt Richards.
British Swimming performance director Chris Spice said: “We are all aware of the unusual challenge that a world championships in an Olympic year could pose, but our swimmers and staff are preparing for Doha as a crucial part of our build-up to Paris and, before that, the British Swimming Championships in April.
“Locking in relay places across the Olympic programme is a key focus, with our relay teams having been so successful in recent years, showing the versatility and depth of this cohort of athletes.
“On top of that, though, this is a great racing opportunity on the world stage and will be a serious test of our swimmers’ preparations and work over the winter months as they will still be in heavy training throughout the meet.”
Britain’s swimmers will be accompanied by a 13-strong diving team also hoping to secure Olympic places.