Carry gets career back on track

DAVID Carry momentarily considered quitting after the 2008 Olympic Games, but his form at the British Gas National Championships has shown that he will be again be one of Scotland's leading medal contenders at this October's Commonwealth Games.

A winner of the 400m freestyle at Glasgow's Tollcross Leisure Centre on Tuesday, the 28-year-old Aberdonian, who trains in Stockport, completed a double by taking the 200m event in 1:48.50 ahead of fellow-Olympian Andy Hunter. The Stirling swimmer finished in 1:49.40.

"I haven't properly tapered for these championships, so I'm delighted with the way I'm swimming," said Carry, who won gold in the 400m medley and 200m freestyle at the last Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. "I did have to have a rethink after the Beijing Olympics, and swimming is all about a four-year cycle. But I'll now be going for two freestyle individual events at the Commonwealths (in New Delhi] and it would be lovely to think I could medal again."

Kris Gilchrist and Michael Jamieson, former City of Edinburgh training clubmates, both won their semi-final heats to set up a rematch of the British Championships in tonight's 100m breaststroke.

Jamieson, now based in Bath, was fastest after morning heats, but Gilchrist, who trains in Paris, posted the fastest time in the semis of 1:02.27. Jamieson won his semi-final in 1:02.94

At the British Championships in Sheffield in March. Gilchrist, the 2008 Olympian, came out on top, but the younger Jamieson got revenge in the 200m event and both have already qualified to swim for GB at the European Championships in Budapest in August.

The goal this evening will be to take the top two medals and confirm their qualification for Scotland's Commonwealth Games team for New Delhi in October.

Edinburgh University's Louise Pate struck gold in the 50m butterfly. The 21-year-old touched in 27.56.

In the men's 50m backstroke, Edinburgh University's William Purnell grabbed a silver medal in 26.89 behind West Dunbartonshire's Graeme Lyona. City of Glasgow's Robbie Renwick, an Olympic finalist in the 200m freestyle, showed his versatility by taking third in 26.93.