Swimmers from Chesterfield, Buxton and Alfreton among those chosen to compete for Team GB at Paris 2024 Olympics

Chesterfield-born Joe Litchfield is among the Derbyshire representatives in the Team GB Olympic Swimming Team for Paris 2024.

Litchfield sealed his place after winning the 100 metres butterfly at the 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, and will compete in the relay for Great Britain this summer.

Abbie Wood, who is originally from Buxton, is determined to fall on the right side of fine margins after being selected for her second Olympic Games.

Wood agonisingly missed out on a medal in Tokyo three years ago, being forced to settle for fourth in the 200m individual medley after missing out on the podium by just 0.11 seconds.

Alfreton swimmer Jacob Whittle is ready to make an even bigger splash, after making his Olympic debut at just 16 years old in Tokyo.

Whittle was Team GB’s youngest swimmer three years ago, and the freestyle specialist is back for a second bite with eyes on the podium.

Now 19, Whittle is part of a 33-strong team that will represent Great Britain across pool and marathon swimming during the Games, with action getting underway in Paris on July 27 at La Defense Arena.

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. I have no doubt the thrilling races we saw at the British Championships will be equally close fought.

“We’re excited to watch them all compete against the best in the world.”

Wood was ultimately left disappointed after Tokyo but coming so close to a medal was a sign of just how far she had come after almost quitting the sport completely in 2017.

The 25-year-old bounced back strongly from her near miss, winning five Commonwealth medals a year later before claiming her first global medal with 4x200m freestyle relay silver at February’s World Championships.

It means Wood may be targeting more than just the 200m individual medley podium this summer, with Great Britain’s strong focus on relays coming to the fore.

Whittle’s most recent World Championship medal came as part of a star-studded mixed freestyle relay team that included Olympic champions Tom Dean and Duncan Scott, meaning hopes are high of further success in France.

Aquatics GB Performance Director Chris Spice said: "This is such an exciting group of athletes that we will be taking to Paris this summer.

“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.

“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.”

Litchfield, Whittle and Wood are part of an impressive squad, with three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty set to headline British efforts in the pool in Paris.

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The swimmers will benefit from Aldi’s Nearest & Dearest programme. It will help maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance and make the most of the unique opportunity to compete on one of the world’s largest stages.

Peaty said: “I’m thrilled to have made my third Olympic team. It’s always amazing to be part of Team GB, but with it being so close to home in Paris this summer, and us having more home fans there supporting us, it’s even more exciting.”

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024.