Katherine Wyld laughed off an under-par showing at the British Gas GB v Germany Swim Meet – insisting her sub-standard Swansea weekend will have little impact on her Commonwealth Games bid, writes Tom Reynolds.
The head-to-head event in south Wales came right in the middle of a hard training cycle for the 23-year-old and while GB ran out comfortable winners 207-109 Wyld wasn’t at the races.
She finished outside the points in the 100m freestyle as world silver medallist Fran Halsall took the win while and was again off the pace in the 50m freestyle - ending fourth.
But despite the Delhi Games trials looming large on the horizon at the end of March, Wyld insisted she was not worried by her lack of form.
"My swim in the 100m freestyle was pretty awful really but I wasn't expecting much at all going into it," said Wyld.
"I have been doing some very tough training coming into the meeting so I am quite tired and so I knew I wasn't going to be swimming good times.
"It's always nice to swim fast times because that can only give you confidence but I am not worried about it. We have the Commonwealth Games trials coming up and so I need to be training hard right now and not resting so I just have to keep working hard from here now.”
If selected, the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October would be Wyld's first major multi-event championship experience having been part of the World Championship squad in Rome last summer.
And despite there still being a large cloud hanging over the security of the Indian event, Wyld has no doubts about wanting to be on the England team plane.
"It would be absolutely amazing to go to the Commonwealth Games and that is what my year is all built around," said Wyld.
"I think the Commonwealth Games is only second to the Olympics in terms of major championships and so I would absolutely love to get the chance to go there and experience it all.
"If I can keep training hard and swim well in Sheffield then hopefully I can do that because it would be amazing to get there."
The nation's leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport at all levels - from paddling pool to podium. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming
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