Hannah Miley's medley of gongs

However, the ultra-determined 21-year-old from Inverurie isn't one to lend herself to such bold and brash predictions.

For Miley, who is meticulously supported by father Patrick, a helicopter pilot by day and amateur swimming coach by night, knows she only has control over herself and not her rivals in China. But she arrived at the futuristic Shanghai Oriental Sports Center as No.3 in the world at her preferred 400m medley after a seemingly faultless start to the season.

While some struggled with the quick turnaround from the Commonwealth Games to the British Championships back in March, Miley cruised to 200m and 400m gold for the fourth year running.

In 2009 she took European short course gold, paving the way for European long course and Commonwealth Games gold last year.

Those performances came after two near-misses - she finished fourth in the 400m at the Rome World Championships in 2009 and sixth over the same distance on her Olympic debut at Beijing 2008. But despite such progression, Miley, who will open her campaign with the 200m on the first day and close it with the 400m on the last, isn't getting caught up in the hype.

She said: "It is a double-edged sword because I guess people will look at me as a potential medallist and a medal would be a huge confidence boost and would make me stand up taller. But, if I don't come back with a medal, it would still be a positive if I posted a good time and did all I could to get one.

"I definitely want a medal, every athlete wants to medal but I don't want to be too cocky and I don't want to fall flat on my face. I have to stay composed and control what I am doing because I can't control what other athletes do.

"I have to give the best performance of my life and if someone goes quicker, they go quicker.

"One of the great things my dad has really tried to drill into me, though, is getting to know the competition and I have certainly done a lot more research than ever before.

"I have been watching videos but it is hard to get hold of information, especially for some of the younger swimmers who I have never heard of, but I am ready for the challenge."

Miley is part of a 42-strong team in Shanghai, hailed by British Swimming performance director Michael Scott as the best ever assembled, and including a good smattering of Scots.

International regulars David Carry, Robbie Renwick, Kris Gilchrist, Michael Jamieson and Caitlin McClatchey are joined by Jak Scott from Hawick and Josh Walsh from Preston, both based in Stirling.

In contrast to Miley, McClatchey has struggled to rekindle the form of 2006, when she won double Commonwealth gold.

She claimed 4x200m freestyle relay bronze at the last World Championships in 2009 but missed the European equivalent last year and left the 2010 edition of the Commonwealth Games with nothing.

Such woe rolled on to the British Gas Championships where her finishes in both the 100m and 200m freestyle were well down, all but extinguishing her hopes of a trip to Shanghai.

However a second-place finish in the 200m at last month's British Gas ASA National Championships saw McClatchey earn a relay place and she's vowed to make the most of it.

"We got bronze last time out in Rome and, while other teams have got stronger and Australia are very good at the moment, we believe we have improved a lot as well," said McClatchey.

"We have some very good swimmers at the moment and, with Jo Jackson and myself now feeling like we're back to our best, I think we can go there and perform very well.

"It has been a difficult year for me. Last season I was either injured or ill all the time but I felt like I was on form again at the second trials."

• Kellogg's has been supporting British Swimming for more than 15 years with a "grassroots to gold medals" programme. Visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/swimming for more information.