# British swimming champions – 400 metres freestyle winners

The British swimming champions over 400 metres freestyle, formerly the (Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) National Championships) are listed below.
The event was originally contested over 440 yards and then switched to the metric conversion of 400 metres in 1971.
The most successful male and female competitors in the history of the event are Paul Palmer with six titles, and Liz Long and Sarah Hardcastle with five titles each. Palmer, Long, Brian Brinkley and James Guy share the record for consecutive titles at four. The current champions (2024) are Kieran Bird and Holly Hibbott (their first in both cases).

## 400 metres freestyle champions

| Year | Men's champion | Women's champion |
| | 440 yards | 440 yards |
| 1946 | Jack Hale | Nancy Riach |
| 1947 | Jack Hale | Catherine Gibson |
| 1948 | Jack Hale | Catherine Gibson |
| 1949 | Per-Olof Östrand | Margaret Wellington |
| 1950 | Jack Wardrop | Daphne Wilkinson |
| 1951 | Jack Wardrop | Daphne Wilkinson |
| 1952 | Jack Wardrop | Daphne Wilkinson |
| 1953 | | |
| 1954 | Graham Symonds | Christine Brown |
| 1955 | Neil McKechnie | Joyce Clarke |
| 1956 | Neil McKechnie | Margaret Girvan |
| 1957 | Bob Sreenan | Elspeth Ferguson |
| 1958 | Ian Black | Elspeth Ferguson |
| 1959 | Ian Black | Natalie Steward |
| 1960 | John Martin-Dye | Liz Long |
| 1961 | John Martin-Dye | Nan Rae |
| 1962 | Richard Campion | Liz Long |
| 1963 | John Martin-Dye | Liz Long |
| 1964 | Geoff Grylls | Liz Long |
| 1965 | Geoff Grylls | Liz Long |
| 1966 | Alan Kimber | Jeanette Cave |
| 1967 | Alan Kimber | Susan Williams |
| 1968 | Tony Jarvis | Sally Davison |
| 1969 | Ron Jacks | Susan Williams |
| 1970 | Raymond Terrell | Judy Wright |
| | 400 metres | 400 metres |
| 1971 | Brian Brinkley | Lesley Allardice |
| 1972 | Brian Brinkley | June Green |
| 1973 | Brian Brinkley | June Green |
| 1974 | Brian Brinkley | Leslie Cliff |
| 1975 | Alan McClatchey | Diane Walker |
| 1976 | Alan McClatchey | Moira Houston |
| 1977 | Gordon Downie | Sharron Davies |
| 1978 | Simon Gray | Sharron Davies |
| 1979 | | Sharron Davies |
| 1980 | Andrew Astbury | Jackie Willmott |
| 1981 | Andrew Astbury | Jackie Willmott |
| 1982 | Andrew Astbury | June Croft |
| 1983 | John Davey | Jackie Willmott |
| 1984 | John Davey | Sarah Hardcastle |
| 1985 | Paul Easter | Karen Mellor |
| 1986 | Kevin Boyd | Sarah Hardcastle |
| 1987 | Kevin Boyd | Ruth Gilfillan |
| 1988 | Paul Howe | Ruth Gilfillan |
| 1989 | Campbell McNeil | Karen Mellor |
| 1990 | Paul Howe | Karen Mellor |
| 1991 | Paul Howe | Ruth Gilfillan |
| 1992 | Paul Palmer | Karen Pickering |
| 1993 | Paul Palmer | Sarah Hardcastle |
| 1994 | Steven Mellor | Sarah Hardcastle |
| 1995 | Ian Wilson | Sarah Hardcastle |
| 1996 | Ian Wilson | Sarah Collings |
| 1997 | Graeme Smith | Vicky Horner |
| 1998 | Paul Palmer | Vicky Horner |
| 1999 | Paul Palmer | Natalia Baranovskaya |
| 2000 | Paul Palmer | Vicky Horner |
| 2001 | Paul Palmer | Karen Legg |
| 2002 | James Salter | Karen Pickering |
| 2003 | James Salter | Karen Pickering |
| 2004 | Simon Burnett | Melanie Marshall |
| 2005 | David Carry | Melanie Marshall |
| 2006 | David Carry | Joanne Jackson |
| 2007 | Daniel Coombs | Kate Richardson |
| 2008 | Ross Davenport | Rebecca Adlington |
| 2009 | Ross Davenport | Joanne Jackson |
| 2010 | Robert Bale | Rebecca Adlington |
| 2011 | Ross Davenport | Rebecca Adlington |
| 2012 | Robert Renwick | Rebecca Turner |
| 2013 | Robert Renwick | Eleanor Faulkner |
| 2014 | James Guy | Siobhan-Marie O'Connor |
| 2015 | James Guy | Jazmin Carlin |
| 2016 | James Guy | Jazmin Carlin |
| 2017 | James Guy | Eleanor Faulkner |
| 2018 | Stephen Milne | Kathryn Greenslade |
| 2019 | Duncan Scott | Freya Anderson |
| Not held during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic |||
| 2022 | Daniel Jervis | Freya Anderson |
| 2023 | Luke Turley | Freya Colbert |
| 2024 | Kieran Bird | Holly Hibbott |