Swimming: Jamieson is relieved to make team

Michael JAMIESON heaved a sigh of relief after he touched second in the 200 metres breaststroke at last night’s Olympic swimming trials in London – but it was bronze medal heartache for his former City of Edinburgh clubmate, Kris Gilchrist, at the London Aquatics Centre.

Gilchrist had set a goal of the 2012 London Olympics ever since he swam for Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. But the 28-year-old British record-holder lost out to his two Bath training mates, Andrew Willis and 23-year-old Jamieson.

Willis set an English record of 2min 09.33sec – a second inside his career best – and Jamieson’s own personal best of 2:09.84 for the silver medal was also good enough to make the Olympics. Gilchrist, who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, missed out on his dream of a home Games with 2:11.73. Even Jamieson, a former City of Edinburgh swimmer who was fifth at last year’s World Championship in Shanghai and a silver medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was in far from celebratory mood.

“To be honest, I’ve had a bit of a nightmare of a week and I’m just so relieved to have made the team,” said Jamieson, who had been denied a place in the 100m breaststroke by Warrender teenager Craig Benson on Sunday.

“I came here wanting to qualify for two individual events, but I’ve been a nervous wreck. Tonight, I had absolutely nothing left at the end. I don’t know what was wrong but I’ll have to try and work it out and get ready for London.”

Warrender’s Craig McNally qualified for tonight’s 200m backstroke, posting the third quickest time with 2:00.33 in the semi-finals and his clubmate, Dan Wallace, was fourth fastest in the 200m individual medley in 2:01.41.