Jazz Carlin was on cloud nine after picking up her fourth consecutive 400m freestyle gold at the British Swimming Championships in Glasgow and crucially making the Olympic qualifying standard in her final race of the meet.
Carlin touched the wall in 4:04.33, three tenths inside the qualifying time, the first time she had managed it this week despite titles in the 200m and 800m freestyle.
And with the Rio squad set to be officially announced on Thursday, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist was relieved to have fulfilled the criteria to make the squad, four years after glandular fever had wrecked her hopes of going to London 2012.
“I couldn’t be any happier right now,” she said. “I didn’t get the chance to swim at the home Olympic Games so I’m so happy to have got that qualifying time.
“It’s sport, you never know what is going to happen, but as the saying goes, failure pushes you to success and I’ve really used that to bring me to where I am now.
“It’s a massive relief and it really feels like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
World bronze medallist Siobhan-Marie O’Connor was another to make the qualifying standard in the 200m individual medley.
Needing to go under 2:10.19, O’Connor stopped the clock way ahead of the rest of the field in 2:09.66 and is set to go to her second Olympic Games, four years after being the youngest swimmer in the team in London.
“Four years ago I was in London at my first Olympic trial situation, but I was really young then and the pressure completely got to me,” she said.
“I’m really glad I have been able to come back this year and win the medley because that is what I really want to swim in Rio.
“I knew I was capable of getting the time, I just had to make sure I did it when it mattered.”
On a hugely successful night, Ben Proud was another to go under the qualifying standard, with a time of 21.73 in the 50m freestyle.
Having lowered his own British record in the heats to 21.65, there was a tinge of disappointment at the time for Proud, but that was quickly forgotten as he put himself in contention for a first Olympic Games.
He said: “I feel in good shape and I still feel like a faster swim was in me, but that’s just the way things were with the pressure of Olympic qualifying times.
“But hopefully that is me secured on the team and I can relax now, get back to training and get a really good chunk of work back at home.
“This has been four years in the making, a lot of dedication and a lot of hard work along the way.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but over the next coming days it will be a massive relief.”
The night had kicked off with a thrilling 1500m freestyle as 17-year-old Tim Shuttleworth upset World Championship finalist Stephen Milne, knocking 20 seconds off his lifetime best in the process.
Shuttleworth was just outside the qualifying standard in 14:55.23, while Milne touched home in 14:59.10.
Shuttleworth said: “I’ve been training pretty well and I’m in the best form of my life that I’ve ever been in.
“It was just about whether I could get up and do it and I managed to so I’m really happy. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Finally in the 200m individual medley Roberto Pavoni finished first in a time of 1:59.20, ahead of Ieuan Lloyd and Duncan Scott, but outside the consideration time.
Sportsbeat 2016