Matt Richards won an epic men’s 200m freestyle race at the British Championships in London but Olympic champion Tom Dean missed out on the chance to defend his title in Paris.
Richards won a race billed as the most competitive domestic contest in history with Duncan Scott taking silver.
Dean was third but only two can race in the event at this summer’s Olympics, although he will contest other events.
“It lived up to the hype,” said 2023 world 200m freestyle champion Richards.
“That was probably the best field you are going to find domestically. It was great practice for the Olympics.”
The trio, who won gold together in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Tokyo Olympics, have battled each other in events all week but this race was always expected to be the championship’s grand finale.
Seven of the eight men in the final were former Olympians with Scott, 26, the Olympic silver medallist when Dean won gold in Tokyo.
Richards, 21, won gold in the event at last year’s World Championships and Dean, 23, silver but it is the latter who missed out on qualification.
Dean, who had set himself a bold target of five medals in Paris, had already effectively qualified for the 200m individual medley on Thursday by taking silver but also missed out on the place for the 100m freestyle event.
“I knew it was going to take a momentous effort,” Dean said. “It is fine margins and you can pay for it at the front end.
“I have been top three in the world for three years in a row and it shows the calibre of this competition. This is what you’ve got to do to just get on the team.
“I have spoken about my big medal aims in Paris. That is still there. I want to win individual medals, relay medals and do as much as I can for the team. I have got to reset and slightly refocus.”
Richards said: “I said to him at the end of the race it is so bitter-sweet because in a perfect world we would love it if we could all get in there and race.
“There is always going to be someone who just misses out and Deano is a phenomenal talent.”
James Guy finished fourth meaning he will travel to Paris for the relay as the same quartet – Guy, Dean, Scott and Richards – will look to defend the title they won in Tokyo.
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