Commonwealth Champion Fran Halsall will renew her Commonwealth Games rivalries this summer as part of a 39-strong England swimming team.
The team, announced today by Commonwealth Games England, will compete for honours at the Glasgow 214 Commonwealth Games where they will face a strong and proud team from Scotland, the might of Australia as well as tough challenges from Canada and South Africa.
Halsall, who secured five medals for Team England four years ago in Delhi, will be joined by the likes of Paralympic Champion Ollie Hynd, double Commonwealth Champion Liam Tancock as well as a large number of athletes who will experience a Commonwealth Games for the first time.
Halsall will be aiming to add to her collection of seven Commonwealth medals to date when she lines up for what will be her third Commonwealth Games.
"It's great to be going to another Commonwealth Games as part of Team England," Halsall said. "I’m sure Glasgow will put on a fantastic show and these Games will continue to be a good experience for me.
"I've swam quite fast at this event previously and I’ll be looking to improve on that. It's going to be another good marker two years out from the next Olympics. It'll show where we are, how we're doing and how you deal with a multi-sport games environment."
Paralympic Champion Hynd hopes the crowds will show the same level of support athletes achieved in London two years ago.
“I am really excited to be competing at my first Commonwealth Games,” Hynd said. “I’m sure the crowd will be loud and really reminiscent of London which will be great. I really want to complete my medal set with a good performance in Glasgow.
“I think competing for England is a massive honour and I really hope I can do everyone proud when I get on to the blocks in Glasgow. It will be difficult with strong Australian challengers but I will put my all in.”
England Chef de Mission Jan Paterson said: "This is a really exciting squad of swimmers who will be looking to continue the fine tradition their sport has of performing well under the flag of St George at the Commonwealth Games.
"I'd like to congratulate them all on their selection, welcome them to Team England and wish them all the very best for their final preparations leading to Glasgow."
Team Leader for England’s swimmers in Glasgow will be Dawn Peart who believes the team of 2014 is ideally prepared to meet the challenge.
“I am looking forward to leading the England swimming team in Glasgow and am excited about England’s prospects given the balance of experienced swimmers and newcomers on the team,” said Peart.
“It is a performance focused team that has been selected with realistic opportunities for success while for some of the younger swimmers it will be an opportunity for them to make their first mark at international level.
“Competition in Glasgow promises to very strong with representations from Scotland and Wales together with major challengers from Australia, Canada and South Africa. This should give rise to some exciting races and we will work hard as a team to make England proud.”
The team in full is as follows:
Name | Trains | Born/Lived |
Aimee Willmott | Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough |
Amelia Maughan | Bath | Hammersmith |
Amy Smith | Loughborough | Kidderminster |
Danielle Lowe | Derby | Birkenhead |
Eleanor Faulkner | Sheffield | Sheffield |
Elena Sheridan | Loughborough | Chadwell Heath |
Elizabeth Simmonds | Bath | Beverley/Lincoln |
Francesca Halsall | Loughborough | Liverpool |
Jessica Fullalove | Manchester | Oldham/Rochdale |
Jessica Lloyd | Manchester | Oldham |
Lauren Quigley | Stockport | Stockport |
Molly Renshaw | Loughborough | Mansfield |
Rachael Kelly | Loughborough | Stoke-on-Trent |
Rebecca Turner | Sheffield | Rotherham |
Siobhan-Marie O'Connor | Bath | Bath |
Sophie Allen | Bath | Lincoln |
Sophie Taylor | Leeds | Sheffield |
Tilly Gray | Bath | Swindon |
Stephanie Slater | Manchester | Preston |
Adam Barrett | Loughborough | Reading |
Adam Brown | Auburn | Hatfield |
Adam Peaty | Derby | Uttoxeter |
Andrew Willis | Bath | Frimley, Surrey |
Benjamin Proud | Plymouth | London/Plymouth |
Chris Walker-Hebborn | Bath | Enfield |
Daniel Fogg | Loughborough | Edmonton |
James Disney-May | Auburn | Chertsey |
James Guy | Millfield | Bury |
James Wilby | Loughborough | Glasgow |
Jay Lelliott | Bath | Dorchester |
Joseph Roebuck | Bath | Rotherham |
Joshua Walsh | Stirling | Blackburn |
Lewis Coleman | Sheffield | Bury |
Liam Tancock | Loughborough | Exeter |
Max Litchfield | Sheffield | Pontefract |
Nicholas Grainger | Sheffield | Rotherham |
Roberto Pavoni | Loughborough | Harold Wood |
Thomas Hamer | Burnley/Manchester | Rossendale |
Oliver Hynd | Nottingham/Mansfield | Sutton-in-Ashfield |