SWIMMERS TARGET COMMONWEALTH QUALIFICATION
Britain's World Championship squad are straight back into
the pool this week and have their sights firmly set on the
next major international championships as they compete at
the ASA Commonwealth Games Trials in Sheffield.
The Trials, which are being run alongside the ASA Youth Championships
for swimmers aged 14-18, take place from 4-9 August at Ponds
Forge International Pool and are the first chance for England's
swimmers to qualify for the Commonwealths next year in Melbourne,
Australia.
Athletes from Wales and Scotland have already posted consideration
times for the Games, but England's swimmers will be hoping
to swim within the standard in Sheffield to take the pressure
off their second and final chance to qualify at a Stage 3
meet at the end of the year.
With more than a dozen of Britain's senior swimmers retiring
from the sport since Athens, the challenge is on for the country's
younger athletes to step up to the plate and fight for a place
on a home nations team.
Karen Pickering, who is the latest swimmer to announce her
retirement, will compete in her final major meet at Sheffield
before stepping down from international swimming. The Commonwealth
gold medallist will take part in the 50m Freestyle on Saturday.
World Championship medallists Catlin McClatchey, David Davies
and Liam Tancock will all be in action in the pool and will
swim alongside younger counterparts including Francesca Halsall
(City of Liverpool), Chris Alderton (Durham Aquatics), Lizzie
Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans), Robbie Renwick (City of Aberdeen)
and Ceri Unwin (Hatfield) who were amongst the Brits that
reached the podium at last month's European Junior Championships
and European Youth Olympic Festival.
The cream of Britain's Paralympians will also swim for the
honour to represent their home countries at the Commonwealths
and will battle for limited places in the men's and women's
50m and 100m Freestyle.
Coverage of the Trials will be broadcast live on Grandstand
on BBC2 from 3pm on Sunday 7 August.
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