Sheffield swimmers Max Litchfield and Ellie Faulkner selected for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

Local swimmers Max Litchfield and Eleanor Faulkner have been selected to represent Team England at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Queensland, Australia.
Ellie Faulkner with her bronze medal from the 2014 Commonwealth GamesEllie Faulkner with her bronze medal from the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Ellie Faulkner with her bronze medal from the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Both athletes swim for City of Sheffield and will be competing in their second Commonwealth Games.

After competing at Glasgow 2014, Litchfield made his mark at his first Olympic Games in 2016 by finishing fourth in the 400m individual medley final. At the 2017 British Swimming Championships, Litchfield took national titles in both individual medley events which put him on the plane to Budapest. He finished fourth in the 200m and 400m at the World Championships, setting new Commonwealth and British records respectively.

Max Litchfield   finishes fourth th just outside the medals in the  400m individual medley in the World Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Photo: SWpix.comMax Litchfield   finishes fourth th just outside the medals in the  400m individual medley in the World Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Photo: SWpix.com
Max Litchfield finishes fourth th just outside the medals in the 400m individual medley in the World Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Photo: SWpix.com
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Litchfield said: “It feels amazing to be selected for the Gold Coast 2018 swimming team. Having an opportunity to compete for Team England for a second time is totally surreal.

“Representing your country is something that athletes dream about as children, and having another chance to do this on one of the biggest sporting stages is fantastic.”

Falkner is one of the oldest athletes on the team. The 24-year-old swimmer is ranked fastest in England in the 200m and 400m freestyle, making the qualifying time for selection earlier in the year. Faulkner also made her Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow 2014, helping the 2x200m freestyle relay quartet to a bronze medal.

Faulkner said: “It is an honour to be selected to compete for Team England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I am thoroughly looking forward to racing against some of the world’s best and giving it my all.

Max Litchfield   finishes fourth th just outside the medals in the  400m individual medley in the World Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Photo: SWpix.comMax Litchfield   finishes fourth th just outside the medals in the  400m individual medley in the World Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Photo: SWpix.com
Max Litchfield finishes fourth th just outside the medals in the 400m individual medley in the World Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Photo: SWpix.com
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“I will be one of the oldest athletes on the team, and I am hoping my experience will help me to guide some of the younger swimmers who have never been to a Games before.”

Litchfield and Faulkner are two of 15 athletes to be announced by Team England following the first phase of selections by Swim England. The remaining athletes will be selected following qualification at the Swim England National Winter Championships 2017 in December.