On the penultimate night of the 2025 European Short Course Championships in Lublin, the british team enjoyed a standout evening thanks to two of its marquee names. Matt Richards and Ollie Morgan each lowered a national record, underlining their status as leaders of a squad brimming with confidence. Richards rewrote the British standard in the 100m freestyle while claiming bronze, and Morgan dipped under the national mark in the 50m backstroke to book his place in tonight’s final. Two world-class performances that lit up a highly successful session for the British contingent.
Matt Richards Sets British Record and Takes Bronze in the 100m Freestyle
Matt Richards once again proved he thrives when the pressure is on. After three solid swims and a gruelling swim-off to grab the last spot in the final, the Olympic champion over 200m delivered his best when it mattered most: 45.82, a new British record, and a bronze medal secured by just five hundredths. Lightning-fast on the opening 50 (21.81), Richards held on well enough over the closing metres to fend off a surging Tomas Lukminas, earning his first individual international podium since Paris 2024. It also offered a measure of redemption after his frustrating elimination from the 200m earlier in the week due to the two-per-nation rule – with compatriots Jack McMillan and Duncan Scott edging him out in the heats. Clocking his fourth sub-46 swim in just two days, Richards reaffirmed his status as one of the most consistent and explosive sprinters on the world stage this season.
Ollie Morgan Breaks National Record and Reaches Second Final in the 50m Backstroke
Ollie Morgan’s meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing. Fresh from taking bronze in the 100m backstroke the previous night, the Birmingham swimmer lowered the British record in the 50m backstroke semi-finals with a 23.07, shaving Chris Walker-Hebborn’s 23.09 off the books. Although seventh in his semi, the performance comfortably sends him into his second final of the week. The record is all the more striking given the steady progression that led to it: 23.31 in the morning, 23.19 in the heats, then 23.07 in the evening — improving each time he hit the water. Two years on from missing the semi-finals at his first major short course outing, Morgan now stands among Europe’s fastest and most reliable backstrokers. A perfect day capped by a second national record and another final tomorrow, where anything can happen over a dash as sharp as the 50m.
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