Maughan not letting her heart rule her head

By Ben Baker, Sportsbeat 

AMELIA Maughan has vowed not to get caught up in the Olympic hype this year and insists she is targeting the European Junior Championships in 2012 - and a first individual medal to boot.

NOT LOSING FOCUS: Despite the lure of London 2012 clear for all to see, Amelia Maughan has vowed to not let her heart rule her head

Maughan is currently on the outskirts of the senior British team but did join the country's best swimmers at a warm-weather training camp in Cyprus back in May.

The 15-year-old will share the pool with them at the British Championships in March, which act as the main trials for this summer's Olympics as well as the European Junior Championships.

Maughan won European junior 4x100m freestyle relay silver last year as well as bronze at the world equivalent - and admits it is age group honours, this time individual, that top her list of priorities again.

"I am really excited about what 2012 could bring and the first major competition for me is the Olympic trials in March," said Maughan - one of Kellogg's' Champions of Tomorrow.

"Although a lot of the senior swimmers will have London 2012 hopes in March because I am still young my aim is no different to any other competition and I just want to swim faster than I have done.

"Having said that I will still obviously go there and try my hardest to make the Olympic squad as when you have the opportunity it would be silly to not go for it.

"But I am realistic and for me I want to get qualification for the European juniors, which is a more realistic aim for me. I have had international success in the past but in relays.

"So the next step is an individual medal and I am targeting the European juniors to do just that. I want to get to the next step as soon as possible and for me it is climbing the podium on my own."

Maughan has spent time this month at a British world-class training camp in Loughborough - the same location where the likes of European and Commonwealth champion Fran Halsall train.

And Maughan is in no doubt she will move onto the British Championships at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park in March knowing exactly how to fulfil her achievements.

"I have been training really hard so far this year and I have been in Loughborough for a British world-class training camp," she added.

"It was really good and really helpful as all the ITC guys trained in the pool before us. It was great to see them up close and personal and maybe I picked up one or two hints and tips from them."

To celebrate fifteen years of support for British Swimming, Kellogg's is offering a ‘Free Kids Swim' on 30 million packs of cereal to encourage families to take the plunge together. Collect a voucher on pack and take it down to your local participating pool. For more information, please visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/freeswim

© Sportsbeat 2012