Scot Smith is cool on Euro short course prospects

From David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Istanbul

SCOTTISH swimmer Lewis Smith has vowed not to make any bold predictions ahead of this week's European Short Course Championships with the bigger fish of the Commonwealth Games to fry in 2010.

HOPEFUL: Lewis Smith's Commonwealth Games ambitions start this week in Istanbul (Getty Images)

The 21-year-old - who finished 17th in the 400m medley at the Rome World Championships in August - is part of a 31-strong British Gas Swimming Team squad bound for Turkey.

Smith will be joined in Istanbul by fellow Edinburgh swimmers Kris Gilchrist - who swam the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke in Rome - and British debutant Iain MacMillan.

Former George Heriot's School pupil Smith made his European Short Course Championship debut last year in Croatia, coming home ninth in the 400m medley and 17th in the 200m butterfly.

But with the British Championships - which double up as part of the Commonwealth Games trials - coming as early as March 2010, Smith admits he will not be aiming to peak in Turkey.

"I am not really resting up as much for Turkey as I normally would for any other major tournament because of the timing of the competition," said Smith.

"That's not to say I won't be going there trying to produce the best performances I can.  it's just that in terms of preparation it is not as perfect as other events.

"It's always good to get out and swim against people from all over Europe and get international racing to keep improving. But for me the European Championships fall at an awkward time because I wouldn't want to be resting now and missing out on a time when I normally put a lot of big sessions in.

"The Commonwealth Games is a massive goal for me and I'd really love to be there next year swimming for Scotland so I wouldn't want to jeopardise that now.

"It is going to be tough because there are going to be a lot of good swimmers out there. Getting in the top three is always difficult in an international competition - but that is the plan."

Meanwhile, MacMillan's selection comes off the back off an impressive year that saw him claim 200m butterfly bronze at the British Gas Scottish National Championships in June.

The 23-year-old followed that up by lowering the Scottish 200m butterfly record twice in the course of a day on the way to gold at the ASA Championships in Sheffield in August.

And while Macmillan - who finished sixth in both the 100m and 200m butterfly at the British Championships - isn't expecting to outgun Europe's elite just yet, he is determined to go faster than ever before.

"I am in good shape and I am definitely a step ahead of where I was this time last year. And this year I have got something to aim for whereas previously I haven't," said Macmillan, who will line up in the 100m and 200m butterfly in Turkey.

"This is going to be my first time representing the Great Britain senior team at a major international meet and I would like a personal best and to lower the Scottish short course record. I broke the long course record for the first time earlier in the year and that was a real confidence boost.

"I don't know what it will take to make the final but hopefully getting close to the Scottish record will give me an outside chance of making the final. And to reach the final on my first outing will represent real success for me.

"Everyone knows 2012 is the long-term aim and hopefully I can go to Turkey, do well and get people recognising me."

 * British Gas and British Swimming. The nation's leading energy supplier, British Gas, is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, supporting the sport at all levels: 'From paddling pool to podium'. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming