Jedburgh swimmer Lucy ​Hope off to world championships in Qatar as part of build-up to Olympics

The 26-year-old – a mixed 4x50m freestyle gold medallist at last month’s European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Romania – is one of four Scots in the British team heading to Doha, along with Kathleen Dawson, Duncan Scott and Grace Reid.

Hope picked up a 4x100m mixed freestyle bronze medal at last July’s world championships in Japan so she’ll be hoping to follow that up with further success this time round to help book a place at this year’s Olympics in France.

She’s one of nine medallists from 2023’s world championships in Fukuoka selected for the Doha trip, including double world champion Matt Richards.

British Swimming performance director Chris Spice said: “We are all aware of the unusual challenge that a world championships in an Olympic year could pose, but our swimmers and staff are preparing for Doha as a crucial part of our build-up to Paris and, before that, the British Swimming Championships in April.

“Locking in relay places across the Olympic programme is a key focus, with our relay teams having been so successful in recent years, showing the versatility and depth of this cohort of athletes.

“On top of that, though, this is a great racing opportunity on the world stage and will be a serious test of our swimmers’ preparations and work over the winter months as they will still be in heavy training throughout the meet.”

Britain’s swimmers will be accompanied by a 13-strong diving team also hoping to secure Olympic places.