The 26-year-old from Exeter is renowned as a 50m specialist, a discipline in which he is the world record holder and double world champion, but because that event does not feature at the Olympics, the 100m backstroke represents his best chance of a medal.

Tancock proved as much in front of a deafening crowd as he dominated from start to finish to take victory in 53.16sec, over a second inside the Olympic qualifying standard.

The silver medal went to Chris Walker-Hebborn in a personal best time of 54.46, with Marco Loughran securing bronze in 55.13, but the focus was on Tancock, who will be hoping to repeat the victory in the very same pool at the Olympics in under five months' time.

"It's all about coming to the Olympic trials and racing fast in front of a home crowd and getting the excitement of what it's going to be like in a few months' time at the home Olympics," said Tancock, who is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in the 100m backstroke.

"I'm on the team now so it's pretty much job done.

"I've got to re-focus myself and get ready for the Games itself now.

"All-in-all I'm pretty pleased with tonight's performance.

"There's no doubt I'll have to go under 53 seconds for a medal in London but I can improve on what I've done tonight.

"I always plan to race fast at the trials and then faster at the major competition.

"I've done that at the last few years and that will be my aim again this year.

"It's going to take a fast time to get in the medals but I'm on the team now and I'm excited about it."

Another of Britain's major London 2012 medal contenders also qualified for the Games as Gemma Spofforth signalled her return to form in the women's 100m backstroke by swimming under the Olympic qualification time.


The 24-year-old from Shoreham (pictured right) agonisingly finished fourth in the discipline at the Beijing 2008 Olympics but looked determined to avoid a repeat in London this year as she claimed victory in 1min 00.19sec.

Georgia Davies (pictured left) took silver in 1:00.21, while Elizabeth Simmonds (centre) claimed bronze in 1:00.43.

"I am really excited," Spofforth said.

"I doubted a lot of times that I could do it.

"There are always ups and downs and it all comes down to the last 10m.

"If I hadn't qualified that would have been it so I just wanted to give it everything I've got and leave everything in the pool."

Robbie Renwick (pictured) became the first British swimmer to attain Olympic places in two events as he followed up his 400m freestyle victory at the weekend with another in the 200m freestyle.


The 23-year-old Scot touched in a time of 1:47.33 to dip under the Olympic qualification time and finish ahead of Welshman Ieuan Lloyd who won the silver in a personal best time of 1:47.68 but missed the second Olympic qualifying time by 0.30.

The bronze medal went to Robert Bale in a new personal best time of 1:47.85.

"The goal for me was to get the qualifying time in the 200m freestyle so I can't complain," said Renwick, who is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in the event.

"What I need to do now is get back to hard training and really focus on the Olympic Games so in a way the pressure is off.

"I still have the 100m freestyle so I can have some fun with that.

"I am going to have a busy schedule at the Olympics but that is what I like.

"The way I train, I train for this situation to happen so hopefully for the Olympics I'll be in good form and I'll be able to cope with it."


Kate Haywood (pictured centre) secured her own London 2012 spot in the 100m breaststroke as the 24-year-old from Grimsby claimed gold in 1:08.07.

Stacey Tadd (pictured right) took silver in a time of 1:08.96 and bronze went to Sophie Allen (left) after she finished in 1:09.45.

"I just wanted to be on the team more than anything and I've come here from being in Australia for the last 14 months and I'm loving swimming again," said Haywood.

"I love training out there and I've worked so hard.

"Yesterday was just about getting through the heats and the semis and focusing on what I need to do today and I've done the job and I'm on the team so I'm so happy.

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