Two swimmers from the West Midland Region have been selected for the British Gas Swimming Team destined for the World Championships in Rome next month.
 
Amy Smith (Wyre Forest/Loughborough Uni) and Emma Wilkins (Chase/Plymouth) are amongst a team of 40 swimmers, including double Olympic Champion Rebecca Adlington and Olympic medalists David Davies, Keri-Anne Payne and Jo Jackson, who will fly the flag for Britain in Rome.
 
British Swimming Head Coach Dennis Pursley commented:
 
“This team has a really good mixture of veterans and young, up-and-coming swimmers and that was our goal.
 
“Our aim within the first year of the Olympic cycle plan was to try to get inexperienced swimmers competing in the premier events on the calendar such as the World Championships in Rome and this will be a good development opportunity.
 
“I’m looking forward to seeing some strong leadership from the veterans to begin the process of molding together a tightly bonded team.”
 
The British Gas Swimming Team set to compete in Rome comprises:
 
Rebecca Adlington – Nova Centurion
Jazmin Carlin – Swansea ITC
Jess Dickons – Stockton
Ellen Gandy – Tritans, Melbourne
Fran Halsall – City of Liverpool/Loughborough ITC
Kate Haywood - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Jo Jackson – Derwentside/Loughborough ITC
Jemma Lowe – Stockton
Caitlin McClatchey - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Hannah Miley – Garioch
Keri-Anne Payne – Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Lizzie Simmonds - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Amy Smith - Loughborough University
Gemma Spofforth – Portsmouth Northsea/Florida
Stacey Tadd - University of Bath/Bath ITC
Lowri Tynan - Wrexham
Katherine Wyld – Nova Centurion
Emma Wilkins – Plymouth Leander
 
Robert Bale - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Adam Brown – Hatfield
Simon Burnett – Wycombe District
David Carry – Aberdeen Dolphins/Stockport ITC
Richard Charlesworth - Hatfield
Ross Davenport - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
David Davies – City of Cardiff /Loughborough ITC
James Gibson – Marseille
Kris Gilchrist – University of Edinburgh
James Goddard - Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Tom Haffield – City of Cardiff
Ian Hulme – City of Sunderland
Andy Hunter – Stirling Swimming/Stirling ITC
Marco Loughran – Guildford City
Michael Rock - Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Robbie Renwick – City of Glasgow
Joe Roebuck - Loughborough University
Lewis Smith – Warrender Baths Club/ Stirling ITC
Liam Tancock - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Grant Turner - Loughborough University/Loughborough ITC
Chris Walker-Hebborn – Team Ipswich/Bath ITC
Richard Webb – University of Bath/Bath ITC
 
The team of 40 swimmers gained selection following qualification at the British Gas Swimming Championships in March and this weekend in Glasgow at the British Gas Scottish Championships.