2019 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

As originally reported:

14-year-old Jacob Whittle just produced a magnificent 100m freestyle morning swim in the heats of teh 2019 British Swimming Championships. Throwing down a mark of 50.40, the teen held his own against the big boys, claiming the 12th seed overall to make the Transition Final tonight.

But, that’s not all. Whittle, who was on our Emerging Men Preview, nailed a new British Age Record for 14-year-olds, overtaking his own previous PB and Age Record of 52.04 by a mile. His time would also have surpassed the Age Record for 15-year-olds had Matt Richards not already sliced it down himself during prelims.

Splitting 24.88/25.52, Derventio Excel’s Whittle simply impressed with a time that would check-in as the fastest mark ever performed by an American 13-14 100m freestyler. The American National Age Group Record for 13-14 year-old men in this event is 51.30 held by Michael Andrew from 2014.

Also for perspective, Caeleb Dressel‘s fastest time as a 13-14 year-old was 52.53.

As a refresher, British results show swimmers’ ages as of December 31st of the year of the meet. But Whittle’s birth date is September 2004 and is just 14 years of age.

From our Meet Preview:

Jacob Whittle – 14 (Derventio Excel)

In February of this year, Jacob Whittle lowered his own British Age Group Record in the men’s 50m freestyle, bringing his previous PB of 24.15 down to 23.95 in Dubai. That made Whittle the first 14-year-old to go under 24 seconds in the men’s 50m free.

Whittle has already established himself as one to watch, breaking 3 British Age Records at the British Summer Championship in long course last year, and an additional English Age Record. Just this past November, the Derventio Excel athlete broke 3 more all-time best swims for GBR.