Olympics: David Carry makes it to his third Olympics in succession

Published on 21/06/2012 00:00

Scotland’s David Carry qualified for his third successive Olympics with an outstanding victory in the 400m freestyle at last night’s British Gas ASA National Championships at the Ponds Forge Pool in Sheffield.

At the age of 30, the double Commonwealth Games champion from 2006 won in a personal best 3:46.86 – just 0.13 secs outside the Scottish record set by City of Glasgow’s Robbie Renwick when he won the event at the first round of trials in London in March.

Now both Scots will compete in the event in London in just over five weeks’ time and Carry was delighted to make it. “Getting the chance to swim in an Olympics in London was always a dream,” he said. “It’s great to have secured my place.”

Carry, who will be the oldest swimmer in Team GB, is the sixth Scot to qualify. Renwick, Hannah Miley, Michael Jamieson, Caitlin McClatchey and Craig Benson qualified at the first set of trials.

Rebecca Adlington, who will be defending the 400m and 800m freestyle at the Olympic Games, added a third event to her London 2012 schedule by winning the 200m freestyle. Stirling’s Lucy Ellis collected the bronze medal with a personal best of 1:59.14.

Adlington withdrew from the 200m at first round of trials but she made sure of a possible relay place by winning the event in 1:58.68.

Adlington said: “I’d love to be part of that relay but I have got my individual races to concentrate on.

“I think at the Olympics they will probably swim the fastest four in the heats.

“We have no choice if we are to make the final.

“We’ve made some mistakes in the 4x2 before by swimming different swimmers and resting the good swimmers but I think rightly so we put the fastest four in.

“If they want to include me in the heat then brilliant. If not, I think they need to swim the fastest four so we’ll see what their decision is and what they are going to do with that.”

Just weeks after the Olympics, Carry will marry fiancée Keri-Anne Payne – one of the favourites for the women’s Open Water title in London. Adlington is a bridesmaid.

Kathryn Johnstone (Edinburgh University) set two Scottish records on the way to victory in the 50m breaststroke. The 2010 Commonwealth Games swimmer clocked 31.78 in the heats and went an even quicker 31.69 in the final.