Background
Sophie Taylor was born on 2 February 1996 in Sheffield, Yorkshire.
Sophie Taylor was born on 2 February 1996 in Sheffield, Yorkshire.
At the Berlin International Swim Meet when Taylor 14 years old, (in 2010) she swam a personal best in the 100 metres breaststroke, and finished in third place to "show her potential". In 2012, her first domestic "breakthrough" was at the London held 2012 British Gas Swimming Championships, where she finished fourth.
She currently lives in Stamford, in London. Taylor trains at the London Aquatics Centre, where she is coached by Lisa Bates. She soon performed at an international level, at the 2012 European Junior Swimming Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
This was Taylor"s first European Junior Swimming Championships, but she ended with a silver medal and a bronze medal, from the 50 metres breaststroke and the 200 metres breaststoke respectively.
Taylor finished in third place in the 50 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres breaststroke in 2013 at the British Gas Swimming Championships. She broke the previous record, which she had set herself.
Foreign much of the race Taylor was just behind leader Alia Atkinson, but a sprint in the last half length meant that Taylor finished first, Australian Lorna Tonks finished second, 0.99 seconds behind, and Jamaican Atkinson third, 1.79 seconds behind Taylor. On 17 July 2015 Taylor announced she was taking a break from competitive swimming, and withdrew from all events at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.
Taylor has not competed domestically or internationally since that date.