Performance director Scott targets seven medals in Rome

Posted: Friday 20th March 2009 | 10:15

BRITISH Swimming's performance director Michael Scott insists Britain must return from July's World Championships in Rome with at least seven medals.

SEVEN SHOOTERS: Performance director Michael Scott expects seven medals at World Championships (Getty Images)

Britain won three medals in the pool in the Water Cube while a further three were secured on the Shunyi Rowing Lake in the open water events.

As a nation Britain have enjoyed relative recent success at the World Championships, claiming five medals in 2007 in Melbourne and four two years earlier in Montreal.

But with not a single gold among the nine - Scott - who replaced fellow Australian Bill Sweetenham at the helm of British swimming in 2007 - has warned GB to perform in the Italian capital or else.

"We can't go backwards in Rome - we won six medals in Beijing so our minimum performance target is six - but we want more than that," said Scott.

"As we build through the cycle towards London 2012 we will be able to be a lot firmer with our targets but as a base to build from we have to say that we want to improve on six.

"The bottom line is that we have to win medals at the Olympics and that starts at the World Championships."

Scott's target looks to be realistic after Olympic medallists Jo Jackson and Rebecca Adlington both ducked under Federica Pellegrini's former 400m freestyle word record at the British Gas national championships.

In addition Ellen Gandy and Hannah Miley - both in their teens - set new European records in their respective events.

"Obviously Jo's performance has stood out with the world record but Rebecca can't be discounted from that either," added Scott.

"The strength of a good national programme is depth and no-one at the moment feels like they don't have to work hard to earn their spot."

RYAN BANGS in Sheffield