Six Stirling swimmers make British performance squads

Six University of Stirling athletes have been selected for British Swimming’s 2017 performance squad for Podium and Podium Potential programmes.

As the sport enters the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle, two male swimmers training under Ben Higson and Steven Tigg in the National Swimming Academy on campus, have been confirmed as part of the Podium programme.

New recruit and Olympic silver medallist Dan Wallace and Olympic teammate and Sport Studies student Duncan Scott, have been named in the top tier as they look to build on their success in Rio.

Following an extensive selection procedure which assesses athletes’ ability to win future medals on the Olympic stage, Dan and Duncan are two of just 17 British swimmers identified for the scheme.

European Open Water Champion Danielle Huskisson and Stirling swimmer Kathleen Dawson – the first Scottish woman to swim the women’s 100m backstroke in under a minute – have also been selected for the Podium Potential programme, alongside 17-year-old student Craig McLean and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ross Murdoch.

Cathy Gallagher, Director of Sport at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, said: “It’s fantastic to see the University of Stirling so well-represented among this roster of young athletes who show huge potential for the future.

“Team GB has great belief in these swimmers to be future Olympic champions and the guidance provided by British Swimming, alongside the support of the University programme, will allow our athletes to further develop in their sport.”

Athletes selected on to the World Class programmes are eligible to receive advanced training camp and competition opportunities, access to world-class sports science and medicine services, and enhanced support from British Swimming performance staff and National Institute of Sport programmes across the country.

British Swimming's Head of Elite Development Tim Jones said: "The past year has been great with some strong performances from a number of our young and talented swimmers. As we begin the new quadrennial we have used this opportunity to make some obvious investments into a new generation of athletes with a clear focus on Tokyo and beyond.

“Through membership of the World Class Programme we believe we can help all of our athletes on their journey by providing a comprehensive support package to help further nurture their talent. All swimmers have been set clear personalised outcome and process goal for the coming season, and we will be monitoring more closely than ever the successful completion of these targets.”