Morgan breaks British record to reach Olympics

Oliver Morgan capped a remarkable rise by breaking the British 100m backstroke record to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Morgan, 20, was not on the radar at the elite level until he won three titles at the British Championships last year.

He defended his 100m crown on Wednesday in a time of 52.70 seconds to better Liam Tancock’s record from 2009.

“If you asked me two years ago if I would be in this position I’d have said there’s no way,” Morgan said.

“I can’t put it into words.”

Elsewhere, 14-year-old Amelie Blocksidge defended her 1500m freestyle title but her effort of 16 minutes 13.39 at London Aquatics Centre was outside the Olympic qualification time.

Scotland’s Kathleen Dawson, a relay gold medallist from the Tokyo Games, did qualify for Paris by winning the 100m backstroke after three years dogged by injury.

Alice Tai impressively won a hotly-contested para 100m backstroke event to put herself in a strong position for qualification for the Paralympics.

Morgan, from Ludlow, did not start competing nationally until the age of 16, with his rise beginning after he began to take the sport more seriously while training at the University of Birmingham.

“It proves you don’t have to be there as a youngster,” he said. “I did what I enjoyed when I was young. I played football and mountain biked.

“We didn’t have the facilities [at Ludlow compared to major swimming centres] and the pool time. You have to adapt.”

Morgan went under 53 seconds for the first time in the morning heats with a time of 52.87 and bettered that in a stacked final.

Jonathon Marshall was also under the Olympic qualification time of 52.73 but had to settle for second, although that should be enough for him to qualify for the Games, while Tokyo bronze medallist Luke Greenbank finished third.

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