British swimming champions – 200 metres freestyle winners

The British swimming champions over 200 metres freestyle, formerly the (Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) National Championships) are listed below.^[1][2]

The event was originally contested over 220 yards and then switched to the metric conversion of 200 metres in 1971.

In 1981 there was a dead-heat in the men's final.

The most successful male and female competitors in the history of the event are Paul Palmer with six titles, and Karen Pickering with eight. Brian Brinkley has won the most consecutive championships, five, between 1971 and 1975. The current champions (2024) are Matt Richards (his second) and Freya Colbert (her first).

200 metres freestyle champions

Year	Men's champion	Women's champion
	220 yards	220 yards
1946	Alex Jany	Nancy Riach[3]
1947	Jack Hale	Catherine Gibson
1948	Jack Hale[4]	Catherine Gibson[5]
1949	Per-Olof Östrand[6]	Margaret Wellington[7]
1950	Jack Wardrop[8]	Margaret Linton[9]
1951	Göran Larsson[10]	Daphne Wilkinson[11]
1952	Jack Wardrop[12]	Lillian Preece[13]
1953	Ronald Roberts[14]
1954	Jack Wardrop[15]	Jean Botham[16]
1955	Neil McKechnie[17]	Virginia Grant[17]
1956	Neil McKechnie[18]	Virginia Grant[18]
1957	Neil McKechnie[19]	Judy Grinham[19]
1958	Ian Black[20]	Elspeth Ferguson[20]
1959	Ian Black[21]	Natalie Steward[21]
1960	Stan Clarke[22]	Natalie Steward[22]
1961	John Martin-Dye[23]	Nan Rae[23]
1962	Murray Lang McLachlan[24]	Diana Wilkinson[24]
1963	Bob McGregor[25]	Anita Lonsbrough
1964	Geoff Grylls[26]	Liz Long[27]
1965	Geoff Grylls[28]	Liz Long[28]
1966	Bob McGregor[29]	Jeanette Cave[29]
1967	Tony Jarvis[30]	Susan Williams[30]
1968	Tony Jarvis[31]	Alexandra Jackson[31]
1969	Martyn Woodroffe[32]	Shelagh Ratcliffe[32]
1970	Mike Borrie[33]	Alexandra Jackson[33]
	200 metres	200 metres
1971	Brian Brinkley[34]	Lesley Allardice[35]
1972	Brian Brinkley[36]	Lesley Allardice[36]
1973	Brian Brinkley[37]	Lesley Allardice[37]
1974	Brian Brinkley[38]	Gail Amundrud[38]
1975	Brian Brinkley[39]	Susan Barnard[39]
1976	Alan McClatchey[40]	Moira Houston[41]
1977	Gordon Downie[42]	Sharron Davies[43]
1978	David Dunne[44]	Sharron Davies[45]
1979	Gordon Downie
1980	Philip Hubble[46]	Jackie Willmott[47]
1981	Andrew Astbury & Mark Taylor[48]	Conny van Bentum[49]
1982	John Davey[50]	June Croft[51]
1983	Philip Hubble[52]	June Croft[53]
1984	John Davey[54]	Kate Jackson[55]
1985	Mark Reynolds[56]	Karen Mellor[57]
1986		Annette Cowley[58]
1987	Jonathan Broughton[59]	Ruth Gilfillan[60]
1988	Roland Lee[61]	Conny van Bentum[62]
1989	Jonathan Broughton[63]	Joanna Coull[64]
1990	Paul Howe[65]	Karen Pickering[66]
1991	Paul Howe[67]	Ruth Gilfillan[67]
1992	Paul Howe[68]	Karen Pickering[68]
1993	Paul Palmer[69]	Karen Pickering[69]
1994	James Salter[70]	Karen Pickering[70]
1995	Paul Palmer[71]	Karen Pickering[71]
1996	Gavin Meadows[72]	Sarah Collings[73]
1997	James Salter[74]	Karen Pickering[74]
1998	Paul Palmer[75]	Claire Huddart[75]
1999	Paul Palmer[76]	Karen Pickering[76]
2000	Paul Palmer[77]	Karen Legg[78]
2001	Paul Palmer	Karen Legg
2002	James Salter	Karen Pickering
2003	James Salter	Karen Pickering
2004	Simon Burnett	Melanie Marshall
2005	David Carry	Melanie Marshall
2006	David Carry	Joanne Jackson
2007	Daniel Coombs	Kate Richardson
2008	Ross Davenport	Rebecca Adlington
2009	Ross Davenport	Joanne Jackson
2010	Robert Bale	Rebecca Adlington
2011	Ross Davenport	Rebecca Adlington
2012	Robert Renwick	Rebecca Turner
2013	Robert Renwick	Eleanor Faulkner
2014	James Guy	Siobhan-Marie O'Connor
2015	James Guy	Jazmin Carlin
2016	James Guy	Jazmin Carlin
2017	James Guy	Eleanor Faulkner
2018	Stephen Milne	Kathryn Greenslade
2019	Duncan Scott	Freya Anderson
Not held during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022	Duncan Scott	Abbie Wood
2023	Matt Richards	Freya Anderson
Aquatics GB Swimming Championships
2024	Matt Richards	Freya Colbert

See also

• Aquatics GB
• List of British Swimming champions