• 21-year-old wins 200m breaststroke at British Championship
• Michael Jamieson makes Team GB but Gilchrist misses out
In the supposed battle of the Scots it was the Englishman who triumphed in Wednesday night's 200 metres breaststroke final and in setting a personal-best time Andrew Willis suggested he could make a decisive impact at the Olympics in an event Britain has struggled in for nearly two decades.
The 21-year-old from Frimley came home in 2min 9.33 sec on day five of the British Gas Swimming Championships, shaving more than a second off his previous best and recording the fastest time in the world this year. It required a late surge from last year's silver medallist to secure a Team GB place and beat Michael Jamieson and Kris Gilchrist.
Second-placed Jamieson also recorded a personal best time of 2:09.84 to secure a place for London 2012 but the 23-year-old Glaswegian was more relieved than ecstatic having failed with his initial attempt to make the Olympics when he could finish only third in Sunday's 100m breaststroke final. "It was hard coming back after the 100m and although I never imagined I wouldn't make the team, I was made to work hard by Andrew," said Jamieson. "I know there is a lot of work to do between now and the summer."
That was a sentiment shared by Willis but not surprisingly, his mood was more upbeat. "I wasn't expecting to be that quick; my coach said go for it and that is what I did," he said. "This week has been nerve-wracking but all the hard work has paid off. It will be a few days before qualifying [for the Olympics] sinks in."
Gilchrist missed the qualifying time by just over two-hundredths of a second and is now likely to retire after a career studded by a 2006 European bronze medal. There were best wishes from the Edinburgh man, however, for Willis and Jamieson as the pair look to become the first Britons since Nick Gillingham at the 1992 Barcelona Games to win an Olympic breaststroke medal.
In the women's 200m butterfly, meanwhile, Ellen Gandy followed her victory in Sunday's 100 butterfly final with a new British record of 2min 6.01 sec and another gold medal. Jemma Lowe came second in 2min 6.37sec and also did enough to secure a place in Team GB having finished third in the 100m butterfly.
"I'm relieved," said the 22-year-old. "I knew she [Gandy] was going to be fast and I'm just glad I could also make the time."
In the men's 100m freestyle final, Simon Burnett and James Disney-May took gold and silver respectively but neither recorded the required qualifying time and so, if they choose, will have to return to June's ASA Championships in Sheffield for a final chance to make the Games.