Running in parallel to the British Junior performance assessments were tests for both the country’s top Youth prospects and Senior athletes looking to put their names forward for international selection later in 2024. The Senior tests were the same as those undertaken by the Juniors, with an 800m swim on the Saturday preceding a 20km bike into a 5km run on the Sunday. For the Youth athletes, the test was half the distance and consisted of a 400m swim on the Saturday and then a 10km bike into a 2.5km run on the Sunday.
Both the Senior and Youth tests threw up some names to watch in 2023. Last year’s men’s winner was Hugo Milner. By the end of the season, Milner had gone on to earn a maiden World Cup gold medal. Moreover, the Youth test proved relevant as Brandon Pye, the top male performer at the British tests in 2023, went on to earn selection at the World Junior Championships later in the summer. He would finish 13th in Hamburg. To go with that, Pye won the British Junior test this year.
Those participating in the performance assessments at the weekend were looking to translate wins of their own into similar breakout seasons.
Senior women
Lily Scott led the women’s swim with a commanding 9:10.7. Having been the top swimmer at the Junior assessment in 2023, Scott dropped a time that would not have looked too far out of place in the men’s event. Right behind her was Isabella Hayes in 9:12.1. Hayes had her 2023 season hit by injury but her swim remains a clear point of strength. Olivia Logan, who represented Britain at the World Junior Championships, then rounded out the top times in 9:30.3. Notably, the top three swimmers were all in their first year out of the Junior ranks.
During the bike-run on the Sunday, the state of play changed at the front.
Katie Rodda started the 20km bike almost 20 seconds down with the staggered start. Before long, she was caught by Ellie Hobbs who had been a further 20 seconds back. Together, the pair settled into a rhythm and rode clear. Hobbs would take the top split in 30:43.6, while Rodda logged the next best in 31:06.7.
From there, Rodda ran to the win by 11 seconds, out-splitting Hobbs with a 18:52.5 5km to Hobbs’ 19:05.3.
After losing over a minute on the bike (having also started a few seconds behind Rodda), Jasmine Cooper managed to revive her medal chances on the run. She blasted a 17:53.4 5km, the only sub-18 minute performance of the Senior women’s field, to run through to 3rd place.
Senior men
Matthew Shipley was the fastest men’s swimmer and clocked a remarkable 8:12.3 for the 800m. Shipley was fastest men’s swimmer in 2023 but went almost 10 seconds slower then than his outing at the weekend. Following Shipley was Tom Hattee, the top swimmer from the 2023 Junior test, in 8:16.0. Next out was Lawrence Martindale, the overall winner of the 2023 Junior test, in 8:25.3.
The three leading swimmers then rode together in breakaway group during the bike-run segment. Martindale was the fastest cyclist of the day in 27:27.5. After their fantastic efforts in the first two disciplines, they held a big lead. The question remained, though, as to whether they defend it.
What transpired next was the most dramatic finale of the weekend.
Osian Perrin had lost a minute in the water and around half a minute on two wheels. When he arrived in T2 ahead of the run, it would have been fair to think little of his prospects. Then he started running.
Meanwhile, Michael Gar had been in the chase pack behind the three leaders. While he had only been 8 seconds back of Martindale when starting the bike, he found himself over a minute behind by the end of it. Like Perrin, though, his strong suit was yet to come.
Gar blazed a 15:05.5 5km while Perrin unleashed a 14:56.7 split, the only sub-15 minute performance of the field. Hattee had slipped behind ahead but Shipley and Martindale were clinging on for dear life.
Into the final stages, any of four men could have won but it was Perrin’s speed that took him all the way to gold. He beat Gar by only 3 seconds while Martindale, who ran 16:19.2 for the 5km, was another 2 seconds back. Completing the crazy finale, Shipley was only 2 seconds behind Martindale.
Youth women
The top swimming time of the Youth women went to Katy Otterson who clocked 4:33.4.
The winner of the test, though, was Annabelle Souter as she backed up her victory from the 2023 Performance Assessments. She had been the fifth fastest swimmer and only 7 seconds behind Otterson. The point of separation would prove to be Souter’s run. Her time of 9:02.3 was the best of the field by almost 15 seconds.
Lauren Mitchell and Hannah Painter took 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Youth men
Aiden Turner dropped a huge performance in the first discipline as he stopped the clock at 4:03.6 for the 400m. Given his speed, it is not unfeasible that he could have challenged Shipley and Hattee over 800m (or at least could challenge them in the coming years).
Turner’s was the best by a Youth man by almost 12 seconds. However, a was the case in the women’s Youth test, it did not quite prove enough.
Alex Dack claimed the victory after producing the fastest run of the day. His time of 7:46.4 for the 2.5km saw him beat Liam Conway and Reuben Wadey into 2nd and 3rd. In a slight divergence from the Youth women’s test Dack would win by 5 seconds whereas Souter won by 10. In general, though, the results of the Youth tests were to all intents and purposes alike.
You can view the full results here.
