Miley shows steel to win at Sheffield

INVERURIE'S Hannah Miley, set to be a medal contender at both the European Championships and Commonwealth Games this year, completed the medley double in style on the final day of the British Gas British Swimming Championships at Ponds Forge Pool in Sheffield.

While the Garioch 20-year-old was clear favourite to win the event, there was a more surprising victory for Scotland's Michael Jamieson in the 200m breaststroke. He outpaced a field that included the Edinburgh Olympian, Kris Gilchrist. Jamieson, a former training partner of Gilchrist at City of Edinburgh, moved to the British Intensive Training Centre based at Bath last year and he clinched his first GB title in 2:11.14.

Another Bath swimmer, Richard Webb, was second in 2:11.52 with Gilchrist just missing out on one of the two European selection spots by finishing third in 2:11.60. His consolation is that he won the 100m – his lesser event – earlier in the week.

Jamieson had already clinched his first GB cap for the Europeans in Budapest in August when he finished runner-up to Gilchrist in the 100m, but he said: "The 200m is my favourite distance so it's great to have won. It's pleasing because I haven't fully prepared for this week. My main focus is on the Commonwealth Games and the Scottish trials aren't until June and then the Games are in Delhi in October."

Miley, a GB team veteran, was a class apart as she swept to victory in 4:37.05, finishing over four seconds ahead of Aimee Wilcott (Middlesbrough) with open-water specialist, Keri-Anne Payne (Bath), in third place in 4:43.17. The 20-year-old made her breakthrough when she competed for GB at the 2006 European in Budapest and she is looking forward to returning to the Hungarian capital. "I'm wanting to do well at both events this year," said the youngster who won gold in the 400m medley at the European Short-course Championships in December.