Max Litchfield


Max Robert Litchfield is a British competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the 2016 Olympics, and the LEN European Aquatics Championships. He also swam for England in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He competes internationally in freestyle and medley swimming events. Litchfield studies at Sheffield Hallam University, located in Sheffield, England, his course being that of Physiotherapy. He currently represents Energy Standard in the International Swimming League. Litchfield is the son of former professional footballer, Peter Litchfield.

Career

Clubs

Litchfield began his swimming journey under the wing of coach Andrew Wallace, at Doncaster Dartes Swimming Club, before moving to train at City Of Sheffield's top junior squad, in 2013. This move saw him qualify for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, shortly after, in the 400m Individual Medley. Max now trains at the Energy Standard Loughborough National Centre.

Achievements

Litchfield swam at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he finished 12th in both the 400m individual medley and the 1500m freestyle. He also turned out at the European Championships in Berlin in the same year where he finished fourth in the final of the 400m IM. He is a former World Junior Champion, having helped the 4 × 200 m freestyle team swim to gold in Dubai in 2013.
At the Olympic trials in 2016 he clinched victory in the 400m IM in a time of 4:12.05 to dip under the qualification time for Rio 2016. He later competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro achieving a 5th place in his heat. In the finals session he improved his personal best further to place 4th in his first Olympic final.
In 2018, he suffered an injury to the shoulder and withdrew from the Commonwealth Games. At the 2018 European Championships, Litchfield won a bronze in the 200 metre individual medley, his first major medal since the injury. He then won a silver in the 400 metre individual medley.

International Swimming League

In the Autumn of 2019 he was member of the inaugural International Swimming League swimming for the Energy Standard International Swim Club, who won the team title in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December.

Awards

The 2016 British Universities & Colleges Sport Sportsman of the Year