Matthew Ward Shatters SCM 200 Back PB, Now Britain's Top Performer
The 2025 Scottish National Short Course Open Championships kicked off with a bang, as two national records fell on the opening day.
In the men's 200m backstroke final, 20-year-old Matthew Ward from the Bath Performance Centre clocked an incredible 1:50.37, leaving his competitors in the dust by over 4 seconds.
This time shattered his previous personal best of 1:53.11, set at the 2024 championships, and established a new Scottish national record.
As a result, Ward has soared up the all-time British performers list, now ranking as Britain's 3rd-best SCM 200 back swimmer in history.
The top 5 British men's SCM 200 backstroke performers all-time are:
1. Cameron Brooker - 1:48.36, 2025
2. Luke Greenbank - 1:48.53, 2023
3. Matthew Ward - 1:50.37, 2025
4. Craig McNally - 1:50.57, 2019
5. Christopher Walker-Hebborn - 1:50.73, 2009
This month, Ward's record-breaking performance joins another British SCM 200 back record set by Cameron Brooker at the Swim England Winter Championships.
On the women's side, 21-year-old Lucy Grieve from the University of Stirling dominated the 50m butterfly event with a speedy 25.78, breaking the Scottish record.
This performance ranked her as Britain's 3rd-best performer in history.
The top 5 British women's SCM 50 butterfly performers all-time are:
1. Francesca Halsall - 25.29, 2014
2. Siobhan-Marie O'Connor - 25.49, 2015
3. Lucy Grieve - 25.78, 2025
4. Eva Okaro - 25.83, 2024
5. Amy Roebuck - 25.94, 2013
As the championships continue, more records and exciting performances are sure to unfold.
