TWO Shropshire trained athletes help form a 33-strong team across pool and marathon swimming confirmed by the British Olympic Association (BOA) to represent Team GB at this summer's Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Ex-Ellesmere College pair Freya Anderson and Hector Pardoe are both included.

Ten pool swimmers will make their Olympic debut at La Defense Arena in July, a sign of the conveyor belt of talent coming through Aquatics GB, including Shropshire backstroker Oliver Morgan, who broke the long-standing men's 100m backstroke British record at the London Aquatics Centre as he builds towards individual and relay involvement in Paris.

Anderson swam the anchor leg in the heat of the Mixed 4 x 100 metre medley relay, receiving a gold medal when the team at the Olympic Games in Japan in 2021.

Away from the pool, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Hector Pardoe - who clinched a stunning bronze medal at February's World Championships - makes his second successive Olympic marathon swimming team.

Border Counties Advertizer: Great Britain's Hector Pardoe in the Men's 5km Open Water during day seven of the 2018 European Championships at Loch Lomond, Stirling..Hector Pardoe in action.

Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “Team GB has a proud tradition in Olympic swimming competitions, and I am delighted to welcome all 33 athletes to the team for Paris 2024. The strength and depth of our pool swimming team was evident to see at the recent Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, and along with the ten swimmers making their debut for Team GB it is fantastic to welcome back seven Olympic Champions and nine Olympic medallists.

“I have no doubt the thrilling races we saw at the British Championships last week will be equally close fought. It is also fantastic to have three athletes contesting the marathon swimming races for the first time since 2008 and we’re excited to watch them all compete against the best in the world.”

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Speaking on the 33-strong team selected for Paris, Aquatics GB Performance Director Chris Spice - who will be swimming Team Leader at his third Olympics in a few months’ time - added: "This is such an exciting group of athletes that we will be taking to Paris this summer, coming off the back of a brilliant six days of racing at our Olympic selection event in the Speedo Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, featuring world-class finals performances, British records, plenty of personal bests and all of our athletes executing in the arena as we know they do so well.

"That is testament to the swimmers themselves, as well as the coaches and support staff working tirelessly in the background.

"On top of some outstanding individual swims, the collective displays showed that we are in a really good place across multiple relay events, which has been a key focus for us over recent years - and the depth that this team possesses is fantastic.

"As well as 12 Olympic debutants across the pool and marathon programmes, we will have five three-time Olympians and the valuable experiences of so many who were part of a memorable Games in Tokyo, so we cannot wait to see how this team comes together with the aim of swimming faster in the summer.

"We know each and every athlete can do that, and that would put us in a very good place in Paris, where we are relishing having packed crowds and plenty of British support roaring us on."

Head Coach Bill Furniss said: "The swimmers have come through a tough selection process and earned the chance to show what they are capable of on the Olympic stage. We have a mix of proven experience and some exciting new talent, and our relay strength is encouraging in many events.

"The challenge for everyone on the team is to maximise the final months of preparation and produce their best performance of the season in the Olympic arena."