Title, medals and Euro places secured as University of Bath-based swimmers impress at Aquatics GB Championships 2026
University of Bath-based swimmers won 10 medals and set a host of qualifying times for this year’s major international events when they contested the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships 2026 at the London Aquatics Centre.
A thrilling 50m butterfly final on Sunday saw Josh Gammon (pictured top) pip Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre team-mate Jacob Peters to the title by just one-hundredth of a second, his winning time of 23.10 making him the third-fastest Brit ever in the event.
Both swimmers went under the qualifying time for this summer’s European Championships in Paris and Gammon, a University of Bath alumnus, said: “Words can’t even describe how that felt. None of the events went my way this week, so I felt like I had nothing to lose. It feels like it’s all been a bit up and down recently, so to get that result was a shock, but I’m so proud.”
Olympian Peters also set the European standard by finishing runner-up to former Bath training partner Ed Mildred in the 100m butterfly (51.34), while Gammon placed fourth in that final and the 200m butterfly.
Bath’s backstroke strength was highlighted by a host of medals and top-four finishes across the men’s and women’s events.
Thursday saw Bill Whiteley Scholar Matthew Ward, Ivor Powell Scholar Cam Brooker and US Foundation Scholar Jack Skerry finish second, third and fourth respectively in the 100m backstroke final.
Skerry and Brooker then won silver and bronze respectively in the 50m sprint – the former setting the European standard as he dipped under 25 seconds for the first time – before a busy week concluded with Skerry pipping Brooker to bronze in the 200m final. Bath Performance Centre team-mate Toby Godsell was sixth and Chemical Engineering with Environmental Engineering student Hendrik van der Leest placed seventh.
The women’s finals saw Civil Engineering student Niamh Ward, supported by the Team Bath Breakthrough Programme, finish fourth across 50m, 100m and 200m.
Mathematics student Christian Ryan, who represented GB at the World University Games last year, produced excellent performances to win 200m breaststroke bronze (2:12.09) having placed fifth in the 100m breaststroke on the opening night behind double Olympic Champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty.
Ryan, Ward and Van der Leest are all part of the University’s Student Performance Sport Swimming Squad, coached by Mark Skimming and Andrei Vorontsov.
Team Bath AS swimmer Nancy Jubb also impressed in the multi-classification races, winning 50m butterfly silver and smashing her 100m backstroke personal best.
As well as the European Championships, swimmers will now wait on selection for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Find out more about the swimming programme at the University of Bath by visiting teambath.com/swimming.
Aquatics GB Swimming Championships 2026 results
Men’s 50m butterfly: Joshua Gammon (BPC) 1st 23.10; Jacob Peters (BPC) 2nd 23.11.
Men’s 100m butterfly: Jacob Peters (BPC) 2nd 51.34; Josh Gammon (BPC) 4th 52.02.
Men’s 200m butterfly: Josh Gammon (BPC) 4th 1:57.81; Hendrik van der Leest (UOB) 6th 2:00.00.
Men’s 50m backstroke: Jack Skerry (BPC) 2nd 24.66; Cam Brooker (BPC) 3rd 24.85.
Men’s 100m backstroke: Matthew Ward (BPC) 2nd 53.58; Cam Brooker (BPC) 3rd 53.69; Jack Skerry (BPC) 4th 54.07.
Men’s 200m backstroke: Jack Skerry (BPC) 3rd 1:57.60; Cam Brooker (BPC) 4th 1:58.57; Toby Godsell (BPC) 6th 1:59.94; Hendrik van der Leest (UOB) 7th 2:01.03.
Men’s 100m breaststroke: Christian Ryan (UOB) 5th 1:01.02.
Men’s 200m breaststroke: Christian Ryan (UOB) 3rd: 2:12.09.
Men’s 200m IM: Matthew Ward (BPC) 5th 1:59.15.
Women’s 50m backstroke: Niamh Ward (UOB) 4th 28.79.
Women’s 100m backstroke: Niamh Ward (UOB) 4th 1:01.25.
Women’s 200m backstroke: Niamh Ward (UOB) 4th 2:12.55.
Women’s MC 100m freestyle: Nancy Jubb (TBAS) 9th 1:23.12.
Women’s MC 50m butterfly: Nancy Jubb (TBAS) 2nd 42.16.
