MEET YOUR BRITISH TEAM FOR EUROSWIM 2019

A strong British team will contest the LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships in Glasgow, featuring four recently-crowned world champions. Here’s our one-stop-shop for getting to know your home heroes that will descend on Tollcross and compete for medals with Europe’s best. Freya Anderson: a Scouse sensation whose inexorable rise shows no signs of slowing. IG – […]

EuroSwim 2019 in numbers

What a week it was at EuroSwim in Glasgow, with Tollcross crowds given endless thrills, British success and a host of great memories to cherish. Russia topped the medal table and Great Britain took home their best haul of medals since 2003, continuing the team’s storied relationship with the Glasgow pool. And British teenage sensation Freya Anderson […]

Kolesnikov reels off double gold as Russia rule on final night at EuroSwim

Kliment Kolesnikov underlined his status as one of swimming’s brightest young stars with two golds inside an hour as Russia dominated the final night of the LEN European Short Course Championships. The 19-year-old broke the 200m long-course backstroke world record in Glasgow last year but didn’t get a fairytale return, crashing out in the 200m […]

Three things from Tollcross: Hopkin sets up tilt at top step as EuroSwim builds to climax

Europe’s elite scrabbled for lanes in Sunday morning’s heats ahead of a grandstand final night, promising ten back-to-back finals and non-stop drama. With Freya Anderson going for gold once again and Duncan Scott set to race in three finals, it’s set to be a memorable evening with limited tickets still available for the session. Here […]

Anderson stuns to claim second gold on a magical night at EuroSwim

Freya Anderson did it again. Great Britain’s teenage sensation sent a loud Tollcross crowd wild for a second night running, soaring to 200m freestyle success and thumping her own national record. Then back to anchor her nation to silver in the mixed 4x50m freestyle, taking the medal tally to nine, Anderson is emerging as the […]

Three Things from Tollcross: Champions back in the pool on sprint Saturday

Day Three heroes rode the wave of their success on Saturday morning as a bumper weekend at EuroSwim gathers pace. Gold medallists from Friday night Freya Anderson, Vladimir Morozov and Katinka Hosszu all dived back into competition and underlined their multiple medal credentials. Here are three things you might have missed from the morning session. […]

Anderson outshines big names to claim gold on thrilling Friday at EuroSwim

A star is born in Great Britain’s Freya Anderson, who held off a world-class field to win 100m freestyle gold at the LEN European Short Course Championships. Anderson, 18, sealed a maiden international title with aplomb in front of a boisterous home crowd at Tollcross, a superb final two lengths underpinning a personal best 51.49. […]

Three things from Tollcross: Britain set up frantic Friday night at EuroSwim

Friday at EuroSwim is already coming to the boil after morning heats bubbled away and teed up more medal chances for Britain in the Tollcross pool. After sealing medals on Thursday night, Duncan Scott, Vladimir Morozov and Kira Toussaint returned to the water and showed their class once again. Here are three quick takeaways from […]

Litchfield bags Britain gold as world record falls at EuroSwim

It’s all on track to Tokyo for Max Litchfield after dominant 400m individual medley gold at the LEN European Short Course Championships. The Yorkshireman, who arrived in Glasgow with an entry time four seconds quicker than any other, delivered Britain’s first EuroSwim gold medal to the delight of a bumper Tollcross crowd. Litchfield’s family, also […]

Huge volunteer effort forms backbone of smooth running of EuroSwim

More than 225 volunteers have teamed up with Glasgow Life to deliver the LEN European Short Course Championships at Tollcross International Swimming Centre this week, with applicants from as far away as Hungary and the United Arab Emirates. From directing spectators to their seats, providing information and support to the swimmers and the media, organizing […]

Three things from Tollcross: Scott’s away on Day Two at EuroSwim

A pulsating first night gave way to a fascinating second morning with the LEN European Short Course Championships well underway. It was Italy atop the medal table after Day One, but eight further champions will be crowned at Tollcross tonight and Britain will be well in the hunt. Here are three things we learned from […]

13th November 2019

Swimmer Profile – Laura Stephens

She may be one of the more inexperienced members of the British team but prodigy Laura Stephens will be raring to go ahead of her maiden LEN European Short Course Championships next month.

At just 20 years of age Stephens is in possession of scarce international experience compared to much of the field, with Glasgow presenting a golden opportunity for her to really announce herself on the global stage.

But Stephens is no stranger to the big occasion, travelling to Gwangju for this summer’s World Championships and placing 8th in the 200m Butterfly with a time of 2 minutes 9.35 seconds.

Prior to that she was part of the Team England squad who took part in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, finishing 8th once again in the 200m Butterfly and 15th in the 100m edition of the stroke.

She appeared at the Games after producing a stunning lifetime best in the 200m qualifiers, nevertheless going on to improve on that time earlier this year when she touched the wall in 2 minutes 7.96 seconds.

It’s the domestic stage where Stephens has so far won her medals and crafted a reputation for herself, however, achieving considerable success in Glasgow – where else – during the British Championships in April this year.

The up and coming star clinched silver and bronze in the 200m and 100m Butterfly respectively, clearly catching the eye of one or two selectors who put their trust in her for the World Championships this summer.

And her precocious performance in Korea unequivocally repaid that faith, reaching the final of the 200m Butterfly but falling short of a medal in her first ever appearance at the competition.

So, with an Olympic year looming, Stephens will be hoping to impress even further next month to catapult her into contention for Tokyo.

Follow Laura on social

Twitter – @laurakjs99

Instagram – @laurakjs99

Short Course Personal Bests

100m Butterfly – 57.62

200m Butterfly – 2:04.94

Fun Fact – If it wasn’t for her sister Stephens may never have started swimming, deciding to take up lessons after being inspired by her older sibling.