Max Litchfield

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Max Litchfield

| image =

| nationality = British (English)

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|3|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Pontefract, England

| height = 1.86 m

| weight = 77 kg

| strokes = Freestyle, medley

| collegeteam = Sheffield Hallam University

| club = Energy Standard
Loughborough National Centre (NC)

| team =

| coach = Dave Hemmings{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishswimming.org/athlete-swimming-profiles/british-swimming-profiles/max-litchfield/|title=Max Litchfield}}

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

}}

Max Robert{{Cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/li/max-litchfield-1.html |title=Max Litchfield Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com |access-date=27 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724134715/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/li/max-litchfield-1.html |archive-date=24 July 2019 |url-status=dead}} Litchfield (born 4 March 1995) is a British{{cite web |url=http://www.les-sports.info/max-litchfield-natation-spf233001.html |title=Max Litchfield |website=les-sports.info |accessdate=6 August 2016}} competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain at three Olympics,{{cite web |title=Max Litchfield – Swimming – News, Olympic Results and History |url=https://www.teamgb.com/athletes/max-litchfield |website=www.teamgb.com |accessdate=7 August 2016 |language=English}} and the LEN European Aquatics Championships.{{Cite web |url=https://www.britishswimming.org/news/latest-swimming-news/litchfield-leads-british-attack-final-day/ |title=Litchfield leads British attack on final day |last= |first= |date= |website=British Swimming |access-date=7 August 2016}} He also swam for England in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.{{cite web |title=British Swimming Athlete Profile |url=https://www.britishswimming.org/athlete-swimming-profiles/british-swimming-profiles/max-litchfield/ |website=British Swimming |accessdate=7 August 2016}} He competes internationally in freestyle and medley swimming events and swims for Energy Standard in the International Swimming League.

Biography

Litchfield was born in Pontefract, the son of former professional footballer, Peter Litchfield and his younger brother Joe Litchfield also being a swimmer.{{cite web|url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/joe-litchfield/2L39MYhyQT6af8O2c2fTBs |title=Joe Litchfield |website=Team GB | access-date=9 April 2024}} Litchfield studied physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University.{{Cite web|title=Max Litchfield Bio|url=https://swimswam.com/bio/max-litchfield/|access-date=24 July 2021|website=SwimSwam|language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dartes.co.uk/news/news_2017_april.html|title = Olympians come to Edlington (Litchfield + Nagy)}}https://www.healthspan.co.uk/advice/max-litchfield {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} This move saw him qualify for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, shortly after, in the 400m Individual Medley. Max now trains at the British Swimming Loughborough National Centre (NC).{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishswimming.org/athlete-swimming-profiles/british-swimming-profiles/max-litchfield/|title=Max Litchfield}}

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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.britishswimming.org/news/latest-swimming-news/litchfield-strikes-gold-opening-night-british-summer-championships/ |title=Litchfield strikes gold on opening night of British Summer Championships |website=British Swimming |access-date=7 August 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.swimming.org/sport/max-litchfield-withdraws-from-commonwealth-games/ |title=Max Litchfield withdraws from Commonwealth Games |date=28 February 2018 |work=Swimming.org}} At the 2018 European Championships, Litchfield won a bronze in the 200 metre individual medley, his first major medal since the injury.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/45077839 |title=Scott powers to 100m freestyle silver |date=5 August 2018 |work=BBC Sport}} He then won a silver in the 400 metre individual medley.{{cite news |url=http://www.skysports.com/more-sports/other-sports/news/29177/11467905/max-litchfield-wins-silver-at-european-swimming-championships-in-glasgow |title=Max Litchfield wins silver at European Swimming Championships in Glasgow |first=Mark |last=Ashenden |date=9 August 2018 |work=Sky Sports}}

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.{{Cite web |url=https://isl.global/club-rosters/ |title=Club Rosters – International Swimming League |language=en-US |access-date=17 April 2020}}

For the 400 metre freestyle at the 2022 South Africa National Swimming Championships, Litchfield placed second, only behind Matthew Sates of South Africa, to win the silver medal with a time of 3:51.37.SwimSA TV (5 April 2022). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PysGJf3muPc "SA National Swimming Championships 2022"]. YouTube. Retrieved 6 April 2022. On the second day, he won the silver medal in the 200 metre freestyle in a time of 1:49.49 and a gold medal in the 400 metre individual medley with a 2022 World Aquatics Championships qualifying time of 4:15.39.SwimSA TV (7 April 2022). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE3Z_fNwHe0 "SA National Swimming Championships 2022 Day 2"]. YouTube. Retrieved 7 April 2022.Isaacson, David (7 April 2022). [https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2022-04-07-rebel-matthew-sates-qualifies-for-world-champs-in-200m-freestyle/ "'Rebel' Matthew Sates qualifies for world champs in 200m freestyle"]. TimesLIVE. Retrieved 8 April 2022. The following day, he won the silver medal in the 200 metre butterfly, finishing less than two seconds behind Chad le Clos of South Africa with a 1:57.66.SwimSA TV (8 April 2022). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roWX_UWRTtU "National Aquatics Championships 2022 Day 3"]. YouTube. Retrieved 8 April 2022. The sixth and final day of competition, he won the silver medal in the 200 metre individual medley with a time of 1:59.96.SwimSA TV (11 April 2022). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ZUfyCNyqs "National Aquatics Championships 2022 Day 6"]. YouTube. Retrieved 11 April 2022.[https://www.news24.com/witness/sport/general/pietermaritzburg-swimming-star-sates-grabs-another-national-title-20220412 "Pietermaritzburg swimming star Sates grabs another national title"]. News24. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022. His competing at the Championships was a culmination of a six-week stay in South Africa training with Chad le Clos in Cape Town. While he was pre-qualified for the World Championships, he was not named to the Great Britain roster for the year.Race, Retta (15 April 2022). [https://swimswam.com/23-strong-british-roster-minus-max-litchfield-revealed-for-budapest/ "23-Strong British Roster, Minus Max Litchfield, Revealed For Budapest"]. SwimSwam. Retrieved 15 May 2022. He was initially named to the Team England roster for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, however was later replaced by Tony Robinson after withdrawing from the Games.[https://www.swimming.org/sport/toby-robinson-commonwealth-games-selection/ "Toby Robinson added to Team England swimming team for Commonwealth Games"]. Swim England. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.

Licthfield won the 400 metres medley at the 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships sealing his place at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The win over the 400 metres distance was a new national record in a time of 4.09.14.{{cite web|url=https://results.swimming.org/swimming/results/2024/AquaticsGBChamps/ |title=Speedo Aquatics GB Swimming Championships 2024 |website=Swimming.org | access-date=9 April 2024}} At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, he participated in the men's 400 metre medley competition, where he reached the Olympic final and just missed out on a medal after finishing fourth despite setting a national record.

In 2025, Litchfield successfully defended his 400 metres medley title at the 2025 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, which sealed a qualification place for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishswimming.org/news/latest-swimming-news/maskill-wood-and-scott-win-agb-champs-thrillers/ |title=Maskill, Wood and Scott win AGB Champs thrillers |date=16 April 2025 |website=British Swimming |access-date=19 April 2025}}

Awards

The 2016 British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Sportsman of the Year{{cite web |title=2016 BUCS Awards Winners |url=http://bucs.org.uk/news.asp?itemid=21049&itemTitle=2016+BUCS+Awards+Winners§ion=8§ionTitle=News |website=BRITISH UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES SPORT |accessdate=7 August 2016}}