Swimming: Miley and Renwick book Olympic places but agony for Carry

Hannah Miley and Robbie Renwick made it a great Scottish double at the new Aquatics Centre in London yesterday when they both won titles at the British Gas British Championships and secured qualification for the Olympic Games this summer.

Miley, the Commonwealth Games and European champion, was in a class of her own in the 400m individual medley, while Renwick came out on top in a tighter 400m freestyle.

But it was a frustrating silver medal for Aberdonian David Carry in the 400m freestyle. He was second to Renwick, and missed the Olympic qualification time by 0.23sec.

Miley, the silver medallist at last year’s World Championships, was thrilled with her winning time of 4:32.67, just over a second outside her British record.

“I didn’t expect to swim so quickly,” said Miley, who is coached by her father, Patrick, at the Garioch Club in Inverurie. “It felt so good to be swimming in this atmosphere, it’s going to be absolutely amazing at the Olympics.”

Miley was one of the favourites to qualify but the 22-year-old added: “I never thought that I had it in the bag. Anything can happen. I had to stay grounded. But I knew that dad and I had put in all the hard work. It’s fantastic to think I’ll be back here competing in front of 20,000 people mostly cheering for Team GB.”

Renwick was the fastest qualifier and led from the front in the final. His winning time of 3:46.73 was a personal best and he greeted victory with a celebratory punch of the air. The 23-year-old admitted: “This is a total relief. It was personal best time and I’m so chuffed.

“To know that I’m going to be back here in five months’ time for the Olympics is so fantastic. I feel really proud. Today I just went out and swam as fast as I could.”

But it was disappointment for Carry. “It’s so annoying,” said the Aberdonian, who competes for Stockport Metro. “You train for years and years for this moment and to miss out by fractions of a second…”

Carry will get a second chance as there are more trials in June.

In the 100m breaststroke semi-finals, Michael Jamieson won the first one and was the fastest qualifier in 60.66, and fellow Scots Kris Gilchrist (61.14) and Craig Benson (61.23) made it through in the second. The final is tonight.

Jamieson admitted he had been “a nervous wreck” before the semi-final. For 17-year-old Benson, the World Junior Champion last year, this evening really could make a dream come true.