Past performance is not necessary indicative of future results, so those ever-reliable financial regulators advise. Yet as the swimming leg of the European Aquatics Championships closed last night, the combined British haul of 22 medals – leaving them second overall to Hungary in the standings – offers quiet grounds for optimism as the Olympic Games splash over the horizon.

On the final day in London, the Caledonian bounty was increased by Kathleen Dawson and Duncan Scott as the UK’s 4x100 medley relay squads concluded the event with a victorious double. Fittingly, it capped a breakthrough meeting for Dawson whose omission from the squad for Rio passed without undue remark.

The teenager, soon to join Scott at the University of Stirling, provided a lead on the backstroke leg that would never be relinquished as Chloe Tutton, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and then Fran Halsall tightened their grip. “It’s been amazing going under a minute three times,” reviewed Dawson, who also landed an individual bronze. “I can’t have imagined doing that.”

Scott was equally unflappable on the anchor freestyle leg, profiting from the cushion delivered by Adam Peaty and James Guy and duly boosting his case to retain the role in Brazil. “It was nice to be in a final for once rather than just doing some heats,” the 18-year-old affirmed. “But it was great to be in there with these boys and we bring out the best in each other.

Halsall’s share in the relay triumph supplemented Saturday’s 50m backstroke gold with silver 24 hours later in the 50 free behind the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo. Jazz Carlin was runner-up in the 400m variant as Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas concluded a hat-trick of titles, with City of Glasgow’s Camilla Hattersley seventh in a personal best of 4:09.51.

“Pretty much every person in that race is an experienced international,” the Rio-bound Scot said. “So it’s good to get a feel for what it’s like to go against the top swimmers in an arena like this.”

With Ben Proud adding bronze in the 400m freestyle final, the final total was 22 medals headlined by Peaty, a triple champion here, and the Batman to his Robin, Ross Murdoch, with the Scot adding a bronze in the 50m breaststroke on Saturday to complement the gold and silver already secured. If this meeting was designed solely as a tune-up for Rio, there should be further gains available.

Others under-performed here but they will know it. Dan Wallace, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 400m individual medley just two years ago, was only the 21st fastest in the heats here and will need to urgently recapture his lost form amid his imminent change of base from Florida to Somerset.

Ditto for the 4x200 freestyle squad who were only sixth in their final on Saturday. “I’m totally gutted not to be involved in the medals being world champions,” Robbie Renwick confirmed. “But it’s fuel for the fire. We’ll get it in the summer.”