WARRENDER'S Lewis Smith and Stirling's Andrew Hunter made great breakthroughs yesterday when they both struck gold on the final day of the British Gas Scottish Open Championships.
Their wins clinched their places in the GB team for next month's world championships in Rome.
Smith had just missed out in the 400m freestyle and the 200m medley at Glasgow's Tollcross Leisure Centre, and he admitted it was a "huge relief" to make
it third time lucky in his favourite event, the 400m individual medley.
In the end, it was a relatively comfortable win for the Scottish record-holder as he touched in 4:15.92 ahead of Joe Roebuck's 4:19.18.
Smith had arrived in Glasgow provisionally qualified for next month's worlds in Rome in three events. But on Friday he lost his place in the 400m freestyle, and on Saturday he was dumped out of the 200m individual medley after Roebuck edged him by just one-hundredth of a second in the final.
"Two chances had passed me by, but I was still confident," said the 21-year-old, who trains with Hunter at the Intensive Training Centre at Stirling University.
"I've swum for Britain at European Championships, but this is the first time at world level."
Hunter has been a regular in the relay teams for many years, but he finally clinched a chance to swim for Britain in an individual event when he won the 200m freestyle. Under pressure throughout the four lengths, the 22-year-old snatched the gold medal in 1:47.67, just edging home ahead of Loughborough's Robert Bale (1:47.86) and fellow-Scot David Carry (1:48.39).
Afterwards, Hunter was another who couldn't hide his overwhelming relief at the outcome.
"I've been waiting for this for a long, long time," said the 2008 Olympian. "I've been swimming for Britain for the past three or four years, but this is the first time I've qualified for an individual event."
Scotland's ever-busy Hannah Miley became the most successful swimmer at the championships with four gold medals when she added the 200m breaststroke and the 1500m freestyle to the two medleys she'd already won – victory at her favoured 400m was followed on Friday by the 200m gold.
The all-round talent posted a winning time of 2:31.50 in the breaststroke and 16:46.11 in the freestyle.
Louise Pate (Edinburgh University) led an impressive Scottish sweep of the medals in the 50m butterfly.
The 19-year-old claimed gold in 27.57 with Carnegie's Eloise Barber (28.07) in silver and Chester-based Sarah Eaglesham taking the bronze in 28.26.
