Big names facing anxious wait

Britain's selection policy for next month's World Championships is so tough, Olympic finalist Stephen Parry and Commonwealth Games champion James Hickman have so far failed to make the grade.

The Scottish Championships, which run from today until Sunday, in Glasgow is their last chance to earn a team place.

New national performance director Bill Sweetenham has set the toughest selection policy ever in Britain. Swimmers must beat the 12th fastest time in the world last year to qualify for the trip to Fukuoka, Japan.

In 12 of the 34 individual events, the qualification time is faster than the British record. All six of the relay qualification times are also faster then the British records set at the Sydney Olympics last year.

"It's a fair selection policy. We are keen to take a team that's got a realistic chance of making finals," said Australian-born Sweetenham. After April's British Championships in Manchester, 21 swimmers were picked. The second and final round of selections will be announced on Sunday night.

Parry, 24, and Hickman, 25, have yet to qualify for the 100m and 200m butterfly events.

Hickman was only two-tenths of a second outside the time in Manchester. It was the sixth-fastest time in the world this year which proves how tough the selection policy is.