COMMONWEALTH SQUAD TO BE SHAPED IN SWANSEA
Team England's squad of swimmers bound for next year's Commonwealth
Games will be finalised this weekend with those aiming for
honours in Australia targeting the final opportunity to secure
qualification.
The Wales National Pool will see athletes from England and
Wales stake a claim for a place on their respective squads
while Scottish swimmers will use the event as preparation
for the action in Melbourne next year.
The Welsh ASA Winter Meet is the second and final opportunity
for England's athletes to qualify following the initial August
trials in Sheffield.
For athletes like Loughborough-based James Gibson it provides
a chance to improve on the times previously posted to ensure
nomination to Team England selectors.
"I feel in great shape ahead of Swansea," said
Gibson. "My aim is to obviously get the A qualification
time in both the 50m and 100m Breaststroke events and my training
has been totally geared to swimming fast at this meet.
"I achieved the B qualification time in August but felt
it wasn't good enough. Therefore I'll be looking to improve
to ensure I represent my country at next year's Commonwealth
Games."
Team England's swimmers will be lead by Head Coach Ian Turner
at the Games in March.
Turner is expecting some impressive performances in Swansea
to define the make-up of the squad but he is very aware of
the difficult challenge faced by the team when they arrive
in Melbourne.
"We've set very high standards so England falls into
line with Great Britain selection policies and the Winter
Meet allows us to fill the remaining places and finalise the
relay teams, said Turner.
"Those swimmers already selected will train through
this meet as they continue their preparations for what will
arguably be the toughest Commonwealth Games in recent history."
Melbourne will prove to be a very demanding meet for the
home nations for a multitude of reasons and Turner is cautious
over England's chances.
"There will be a huge difference in the type of preparation
ahead of the Games as northern hemisphere teams will be emerging
from winter whereas Australia, a strong South Africa and much
improved New Zealand will have had a full summer's training
behind them.
"People must remember that at the World Championships
this summer the Australian women established themselves as
the best female team in the world. England and the rest of
the home nations will have an enormous task of breaking this
stranglehold on all 50m, 100m and 200m events.
"We're going up against arguably the best team in the
world, in their own back yard and in front of a distinctly
partisan Melbourne crowd so all-in-all it's going to be a
very demanding meet."
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