Double Commonwealth Games champion Ben Proud may have set a new British record at the weekend but the Plymouth swimmer believes there is plenty more in the tank yet.

Proud was in action for the University of St Mark and St John in Sheffield over the weekend for BUCS Nationals – the UK’s largest annual multi-sport event.

And with the trials for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio fast approaching in April, Proud showed he is definitely one to watch as he picked up gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle at Ponds Forge.

The former came in a new British record time of 21.73 seconds as he bettered the previous time he set at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

And with a BUCS record also coming in the 100m freestyle, the 21-year-old believes signs are promising ahead of trying to book his place on the plane to Rio in August.

“It is going in the right direction, so I have got a lot of confidence,” said Proud, who won 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle gold at Glasgow 2014 as well as 4x100m freestyle bronze.

“It felt great to get a British record. I tried to just swim without any mistakes but there was still a few things I could have done better.

“That’s what trials are for though and to be getting a British record at this time of the year is a great feeling and it’s good to be out swimming at full speed again.

“I wasn’t sure it was going to be a record or anything, I got half way and I was a bit unsure about it but I just kept with my routine and made sure that I did it the way I am trained to.

“Hopefully I can move on more at trials and then the big one is coming up in August so as long as I can qualify for the Olympics I will keep moving towards it.

“It’s been about two years since I got that British record so I am just pleased to have caught up with what I was swimming in the past.”

Sportsbeat 2016