Yorkshire quartet Max Litchfield, Joe Litchfield, James Wilby and Leah Crisp named in Team GB's swimming team for Paris 2024 Olympics

Four Yorkshire swimmers with contrasting journeys in the sport have been selected by Team GB for the 2024 Olympic Games.
TEAM GUY: York's James Wilby has made the GB Olympic swimming team for Paris. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire.TEAM GUY: York's James Wilby has made the GB Olympic swimming team for Paris. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire.
TEAM GUY: York's James Wilby has made the GB Olympic swimming team for Paris. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire.

Brothers Max and Joe Litchfield, James Wilby and Leah Crisp form part of the 33-strong swimming squad set to represent Great Britain at the greatest show on earth.

Pool swimming events in the French capital start on July 27 at La Defense Arena, a venue which Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ will visit in mid-May.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The team features five three-time Olympians, seven Olympic champions, nine Olympic medallists and 10 debutants.

YOU'RE IN: Sheffield's Max Litchfield Picture: Karl Bridgeman/Getty ImagesYOU'RE IN: Sheffield's Max Litchfield Picture: Karl Bridgeman/Getty Images
YOU'RE IN: Sheffield's Max Litchfield Picture: Karl Bridgeman/Getty Images

Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “Team GB has a proud tradition in Olympic swimming competitions, and I am delighted to welcome all 33 athletes to the team for Paris 2024.

“The strength and depth of our pool swimming team was evident to see at the recent Aquatics GB Swimming Championships. I have no doubt the thrilling races we saw at the British Championships last week will be equally close fought.

“We’re excited to watch them all compete against the best in the world.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Litchfield brothers will compete on the same Team GB swimming squad for the second time after both featuring in Tokyo.

PICKED: Wakefield's Leah Crisp is heading to Paris. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.comPICKED: Wakefield's Leah Crisp is heading to Paris. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
PICKED: Wakefield's Leah Crisp is heading to Paris. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

Max, 29, will have a third crack at the Olympic podium after finishing fourth in Rio and Tokyo. Joe claimed a shock 100m butterfly win at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships to plunge his name into individual and medley relay contention.

Glasgow-born and York-raised, Wilby is a discretionary pick after finishing two-hundredths of a second outside the 59.45s qualification time in the 100m breaststroke at the Championships.

Considerations for discretionary picks included potential relay medallists, relay cover for athletes with heavy schedules, performances at the 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships and medical mitigations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Aquatics GB Performance Director Chris Spice said: "This is such an exciting group of athletes that we will be taking to Paris this summer.

"On top of some outstanding individual swims, the collective displays showed that we are in a really good place across multiple relay events, which has been a key focus for us over recent years - and the depth that this team possesses is fantastic.

"We cannot wait to see how this team comes together with the aim of swimming faster in the summer. We know each and every athlete can do that, and that would put us in a very good place in Paris, where we are relishing having packed crowds and plenty of British support roaring us on."

All athletes in Paris will benefit from Aldi’s Nearest & Dearest programme. It will help maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance and make the most of the unique opportunity to compete on one of the world’s largest stages.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Team GB will field three athletes in open-water swimming events and Wakefield’s Crisp is one of them. She finished 17th in Doha to clinch a quota spot at the summer's Games in just her second season of open water swimming.

Subject to water quality, open-water swimming events will take place in the River Seine in the heart of the French capital, with the women's 10km slated for Thursday 8 August.

England said: “It is fantastic to have three athletes contesting the marathon swimming races for the first time since 2008 and we’re excited to watch them all compete against the best in the world.”

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024