AFTER claiming 400m individual medley gold on the final day of the British Swimming Championships, Hannah Miley is refusing to rest on her laurels as she targets world gold.
Miley lined up in a stacked field that included Aimee Willmott and Rosie Rudin, but came through as she went under the world qualifying time and touched in 4:32.16.
It was a strong swim from Miley who surprised herself with a dominant butterfly leg before bringing the race home more than a second ahead of Willmott. But she knows that it is in a few months' time when it really matters and she says she will put in all the hard work to carry her form into the World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
"I haven't really been working on my butterfly that much but it's nice to see it finally come through in a race," she said.
"I've never been able to race it but it's nice to get it to where I know it can be because that has allowed me to look at 400IM from a whole new perspective.
"It was all about getting that qualifying time and that's what I did leading into London but then I wasn't able to replicate it. So I'm very aware that I can't celebrate my success now, it's only in the summer when I can match that time or beat it.
"It gives you the boost to know you can do that time but then sometimes it's a worry because it adds pressure onto you.
"I like to go into the 400IM with a clear head. It's so important when you get older to just relax because our brains can overrule our bodies."
Elsewhere, there was a strong end to the meet for Ross Murdoch who once again went head-to-head with Adam Peaty. Murdoch was second in Friday's 100m breaststroke final as Peaty produced a breathtaking display to claim a world record. And he was left to chase down the 20-year-old again as Peaty showed all his class to take the win in 27.09 seconds, while Murdoch was second.
"That was very good for me, it was a season's best by 0.5 of a second so I'm pleased," Murdoch said. "It was 0.3 off my PB that I set last year but I'm just pleased to be back swimming and to be here today. I'm feeling really good now and really confident, I've booked my plane ticket to Russia and that was the main thing for me.
"It's going to be my second world champs and I thrive under that pressure. I swam right beside Adam Peaty when he set the world record and it meant a lot to be part of that race with him. I prefer to chase so I'm going to be chasing him every single metre for the rest of our careers I imagine."
Robbie Renwick rounded things off for the Scots as he took silver in the 200m freestyle final.
"It was a good race, I felt really good but I would have liked to have got my hand on the wall first," said Renwick. "But individual swims are just not my priority any more and it's just great to know I've got on the worlds team for that 4x200m relay race this summer.
"It's all about fighting those demons in your head of qualification times and the pressure that comes with them - it's horrible. When you get to the big meets, the Olympics and the world champs, it's great, you can just relax and race."
To keep up to date with Britain's elite swimmers in the lead-up to Rio follow British Swimming on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
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