Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington and world champions Liam Tancock and Gemma Spofforth will spearhead the England swimming challenge at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games England today named the trio among 29 swimmers selected to represent England at the Delhi Games, which take place from 3-14 October.

The team also includes Simon Burnett and Ross Davenport, who return to Commonwealth Games action after winning a brace of gold medals each in Melbourne four years ago.

A further 13 swimmers will be added to the team list after two more qualification events in August.

Swimmers named in the England team today achieved their qualification standards at the British Gas Swimming Championships, which took place in Sheffield just over two weeks ago.

Craig Hunter, Chef de Mission of the England team in Delhi, said: “I’d like to welcome our first group of swimmers to the England team for Delhi and wish them the very best in their continuing preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

John Atkinson, Team Leader of the England swimming team for Delhi, said: “The swimmers selected for the England team can now begin their preparations for Delhi in earnest. For the others that didn’t meet the qualification criteria there are still 13 places available on the team.

“Having an early trials will give the selected swimmers the chance to have longer preparations and the later trials gives those swimmers that are hitting form later in the year a chance to make the team,” he added.

“I look forward to seeing the performances at our later trials as the athletes try to qualify for the Games.”

Swimmers selected today for the England team for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games are:

Rebecca Adlington - Nova Centurion
Achieng Ajulu-Bushell - Plymouth Leander
Ellen Gandy - Beckenham
Francesca Halsall - Loughborough Uni/British Gas ITC Loughborough Joanne Jackson - Loughborough Uni/British Gas ITC Loughborough
Sasha Matthews - Nova Centurion
Keri-Anne Payne - Stockport Metro/ British Gas ITC Stockport
Elizabeth Simmonds - Loughborough Uni/ British Gas ITC Loughborough
Amy Smith - Loughborough Uni
Gemma Spofforth - Portsmouth Northsea
Jessica Sylvester - Nova Centurion
Stacey Tadd – University of Bath
Rebecca Turner - City of Sheffield
Aimee Willmott         - Middlesbrough
Katherine Wyld         - Nova Centurion

Robert Bale - Loughborough Uni/ British Gas ITC Loughborough
Adam Brown - Hatfield
Simon Burnett - Windsor
Ross Davenport         - Loughborough Uni/British Gas ITC Loughborough
Daniel Fogg – Loughborough Uni/  British Gas ITC Loughborough
James Goddard - Stockport Metro/ Stockport ITC
Thomas Parris - Hastings/British Gas ITC Stirling
Roberto Pavoni - Brentwood/ British Gas ITC Loughborough
Michael Rock - Stockport Metro/Stockport ITC
Joseph Roebuck - Loughborough Uni
Liam Tancock - Loughborough Uni/ British Gas ITC Loughborough
Grant Turner - Loughborough Uni/ British Gas ITC Loughborough
Christopher Walker-Hebborn -Team Ipswich/ British Gas ITC Bath
Richard Webb - University of Bath

The rest of the England swimming team will be selected following the LEN European Championships (4 - 15 August, Budapest) and the British Gas ASA National Championships (18 – 21 August, Sunderland).

England’s swimmers finished runners-up to Australia in the swimming medals table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with eight gold medals, 11 silvers and four bronzes.
  
The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports - archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.
 
Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England's team at the Commonwealth Games.

England finished second to Australia on the overall medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes.
 
Sport England is responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport system of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. Their focus is growing and sustaining the numbers of people taking part in sport and improving talent development to help more people excel.

For further information about Commonwealth Games England please contact the Commonwealth Games England press office at Matchtight Ltd on (01225) 443998 or 07831 755351 or see the CGE’s website at www.weareengland.org <http://www.weareengland.org


For further information about swimming in England please www.swimming.org Members of the media can contact Gemma Field, ASA Press Officer on 01509 640238 or email [email protected]