Swimming: Dan Wallace won't give up on his Rio dream

Dan Wallace finished third in the 400m individual medley

The Warrender Baths swimmer, back in the pool where he won Commonwealth gold two years ago, was upstaged by 21-year-old Max Litchfield and finished third in 4:18.11, seven seconds off the time he swam for Commonwealth glory.

Wallace still has the chance to make the team in the 200m individual medley and the 200m freestyle and, after a slow start to the meet, he remains confident he can turn the tide.

He said: “That wasn’t what I wanted. I came here to smash my time to go to Rio and I didn’t do that, but I’ve still got a couple of days of racing ahead of me.

“I’m a finals guy. I wasn’t too worried after my performance this morning but I knew I wasn’t feeling as strong as I’d like, but you’ve just got to go with it and move on. Over the last two or three years, I’ve shown that I’m capable of making the team and making the finals at the big meets, so hopefully I can keep on improving throughout the meet and hopefully by the end, I have proved to everyone that I’m ready for Rio.”

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Scottish swimmers though, with Duncan Scott the stand-out performer for the University of Stirling. The 18-year-old claimed a maiden British title in the 100m freestyle, finishing in 48.66, just outside the Olympic qualifying standard. He will compete in the 200m freestyle later in the week. Warrender’s Keri-Anne Payne could only manage third in the 800m freestyle, coming home in 8:34.03, nearly five seconds outside her personal best.

• Tickets for the European Aquatics Championships – the biggest event to be held at the London Aquatics Centre since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games – from May 9-22 are available at: www.euroaquatics2016.london