Johnson joins county trio for a major debut

Beverley’s Lizzie Simmonds and the City of Sheffield duo of Becky Turner and Ellie Faulkner will all be looking to finish the year on a high.

Simmonds, 21, came closer than anyone to adding to Team GB’s below-par haul of three medals won in the Aquatics Centre when she finished fourth in the 200m backstroke final.

Faulkner, 19, finished 22nd in the 800m freestyle while Rotherham’s Turner, 20, finished 17th in the 200m freestyle and helped the 4x100m freestyle relay team to the final.

Joining a squad of 19 which is headlined by Olympic silver medallist Michael Jamieson, is Dewsbury’s Matthew Johnson, who also swims for City of Sheffield.

The championships, which run from December 12-16, are the first senior meet for 17-year-old all-rounder Johnson.

Head coach David McNulty said: “Anytime our swimmers are up against the best in the world means it’s an important event. We go there as a strong team and and it will be an exciting start to the new quadrennial cycle.”