London 2012 Olympics: David Carry makes final in style

COMPETING in his third and final Olympics, Scots swimmer David Carry reached the final of the 400 metres freestyle and described it as “a dream come true”.

For the Aberdonian who, at 30, is the oldest member of the Great Britain team, it was the culmination of years of dedication to the sport.

Carry produced a superb performance to claim a place in his first individual Olympic final in what are his third Games.

Second in his heat in 3:47.25, it was sufficient to secure a final spot in seventh.

Fellow Scot Robbie Renwick, though, failed to make it through, finishing tenth in 3:47.44.

Carry only booked his place in the Games by qualifying in Sheffield last month and was highly emotional then.

But making last night’s final took things up a notch. Carry said: “It’s a dream come true, really, to be in a final of the Olympic Games. It was my goal this time last year to do that. Not many people believed I could do it but I turned it round and I am just absolutely thrilled.”

Both Michael Jamieson and Craig Benson reached last night’s 100m breaststroke semis. Jamieson, who will also contest the 200m, was ninth overall in 59.89 – cutting the personal best he set earlier this year by 0.61. His fellow Scot Craig Benson, the world youth champion from the Warrender Club in Edinburgh, was 13th in 1:00.04.

The British women’s 4x100m sprint freestyle relay team also progressed to last night’s final.

The quartet of Amy Smith, Jessica Lloyd, Caitlin McClatchey and Rebecca Turner squeezed into the final in equal seventh and they will have the former world silver medallist Fran Halsall in their midst.

There were plenty of empty seats at the venue although there was still a vociferous crowd who produced deafening backing for the Britons and a rapturous ovation for the Queen when she appeared dressed in blue on the balcony overlooking the pool during the session.

Hannah Miley progressed from her heat and was due to contest the final of last night’s contest 400m individual medley, the event in which she won the silver medal at last year’s World Championships.

The Garioch swimmer’s time of 4:32.67 at the Olympic trials had been the fastest in the world until last month when world champion Elizabeth Beisel lowered her own “textile” world record at the American trials.

She made it through to the final in sixth while Aimee Willmott was 11th on her Olympic debut, 28 years after her father Stuart competed at the Los Angeles Games.

Miley was third and then moved into first on the second backstroke length.

Caitlin Leverenz of the United States went ahead going into the 300m mark but with just eight spots available for tonight’s final, Miley could not take any chances. She pulled out a superb freestyle leg which saw her touch in 4:34.98, which bodes well for the final, with defending champion Stephanie Rice of Australia in second.

Miley exited the pool with a beaming smile on her face although the following heat will have underlined to the Scot the fearsome opposition she faces if she is to get a medal.

Beisel lowered her own world record to 4mins 31.66secs and looks like training alongside the likes of Ryan Lochte in Florida is clearly paying off.

Miley said: “I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully, I’ll get clear of this lactic acid that’s sitting in my system and enjoy tonight. That was amazing, absolutely amazing. It’s so good having a crowd like this. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

On beating Rice she added: “It’s good but I know that because she went a little bit slower, maybe she’s got more in the tank for tonight.”

Willmott swam 4:38.87 and the Middlesbrough teenager said: “I am really happy with my race. It was just outside my personal-best time but I can’t really complain about that.

“It was my first major competition standing in front of thousands of people, so I’m really, really happy with how I swam.”

Of the crowd, Willmott added: “It was fantastic. Fortunately for me, I walked out when Hannah was swimming probably one of the best races of the morning for Team GB.

“So everyone was behind Hannah and towards that last 25 metres of that length, I could just hear 17,000 people cheering for Great Britain.

“I was stood behind the block and that really, really got me excited and calmed me down.”