Scotland’s Hannah Miley has been selected for an exciting new swimming event – the Duel in the Pool – featuring teams from Europe and the USA in Manchester from December 18-20. 

Before then, the 20-year-old will be aiming for medals in four events at the European short-course Championships in Instanbul in Turkey from December 10-13, and she celebrated both selections by signing a new sponsorship deal with the Aberdeen-based Xodus Group. 

The oil-related company will provide the Inverurie youngster with a car and the financial support to help her along the way to her ultimate goal of a medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“The Duel in the Pool is going to be a Ryder Cup-style event and should be really good fun and something new for swimming,” said the medley specialist. “I’m just back from a training camp in Dubai and it will be nice to have two big events in one month.”

Next year, her target will be to medal at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, but it is a podium spot come London 2012 that is the ultimate goal.

Coached by he father, Patrick, Hannah is based at the Garioch Pool in Inverurie, but has to travel to get the vital 50m pool experience. “It is costly, but I need to go to Stirling and Loughborough fairly regularly for long-course training,” she explained. “It’s also good to be able to pay for camps overseas.

“Having Dad as coach is great, but he has taught me to be independent and be able to deal with training issues when I’m away on my own. But, at the moment, I’m 100% coached by him.”

Commenting on the sponsorship deal, Xodus’s Stephen Swindell, commented: ”We recognise that Hannah is one of Britain’s brightest swimming talents and she is currently the only GB squad member training in Scotland. It is great to be able to support a local talent and someone who is such a great role model.”