Swimming: Smith bags 400m title as Miley gives Commie Pool vote of confidence

Warrender’s Lewis Smith was also happy to start to get over his disappointment of missing out on London 2012 with a win in the 400m freestyle at the Scottish Gas National Open Championships.

Smith, who swam for GB at the 2009 World Championships, won the 400m freestyle at the new Royal Commonwealth Pool in 3:55.25 but admitted that it was little compensation for failing to make the grade at last week’s Olympic trials in Sheffield.

“I’m still getting over the disappointment,” he admitted. “But I’m going to the Paris Open Meet next weekend and then I’ll swim right through the summer.

“I’m going to switch up to the 1,500m freestyle and maybe even try some Open Water swimming. I’ve done the one mile Great Scottish Swim but the events are mostly 10K and so it would be good to enter one somewhere nice and warm.”

Meanwhile, Hannah Miley, Scotland’s Olympic medal hopeful, gave her thumbs-up to the refurbished venue after making it four titles in two days

Miley, the Inverurie 22-year-old won the 200m individual medley in 2:12.82 and added the 200m backstroke in 2:14.81. On day one, she had already bagged the 400m medley and the 200m freestyle.

“This is my first time in the new pool and it feels great. It is a lot deeper than before and the ceiling is higher so there is a much better atmosphere.”

In the women’s 100m breaststroke, there was a clean sweep for Edinburgh University. Corris Scott won in 1:09.21, Kathryn Johnstone was second in 1:09.60 and Andrea Strachan took the bronze in 1:10.95.

Sara Eaglseham was another Edinburgh University gold medallist. She won the 50m freestyle in 26.45. Mark Tully (East Lothian Swim Team) also hit form in the shorter events, taking the 50m breaststroke in 28.34. And Armadale’s Megan Gilchrist, the former City of Edinburgh swimmer who now trains in Swansea, claimed the 800m freestyle in 8:36.70.

England’s Ryan Bennett swam an impressive 55.01 to win the 100m backstroke ahead of Warrender’s 20-year-old Craig McNally – who missed the Olympics team by just a tenth of a second in the 200m.