Maughan relishing test as she prepares for British champs

By Samuel Wakefield, Sportsbeat

AMELIA Maughan admits she has no idea how she will perform at the British Championships starting this weekend - but she can't wait to find out.

READY AND WAITING: Amelia Maughan will take to the Olympic pool at the British Swimming Championships

The event at the Olympic Aquatics centre begins on March 3 and acts as selection trials for both the London 2012 Games as well as the European Junior Championships which Maughan has her sights set on.

After securing European junior silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay last year as well as bronze at the world equivalent Maughan has experience of that level but the teenager is going it alone this year.

She is competing in the 200m and 400m freestyle and Maughan - who trains at Bath's Intensive Training Centre - can't wait for the action to get underway in London.

"The 400m is mainly just for getting rid of the nerves because I get really nervous before big races, the 200m will feel shorter then as well," said Maughan, one of Kellogg's' Champions of Tomorrow.

"I have no idea how I am going to deal with the pressure of the competition, I just hope I am focused.

"I haven't swum well in a while so I'm not sure if I am confident or not but I am confident I can handle my nerves when it comes to it because I think it is worse going into the race.

"I feel a lot stronger now in training and my times have been coming down. I've lost some weight by hitting the gym and just training harder.

"I want to at least get near my personal best because the racing is going to be of the highest quality and the standard is going to be amazing."

Maughan visited the Olympic Pool for a training session last year but competing in front of a crowd is going to be a different experience for the young swimmer.

And, with double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and 2008 Beijing bronze medallist Jo Jackson set to feature, Maughan can't wait to share the pool with her idols.

"When I went to the pool there wasn't a lot of people but there was already an atmosphere and you could tell that when the place is full it is going to be special," she added.

"I have been waiting for a long time so it is going to be great. The experience of the people who have raced at the Olympics there is going to be helpful and I will definitely ask them for advice about how they cope more than anything.

"Because it is the trials everyone is going to be there and people are really going to up their game. I would love to get in the semi finals or the finals to race against some of the big girls."

To celebrate 15 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  

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