CHIPPING SODBURY swimmer Richard Webb admits he'd love to spring a Shanghai surprise this summer - but he's more concerned with banishing his Beijing disappointment in London next year.
The 24-year-old breaststroke specialist collected 100m bronze and finished fourth over 200m at March's British Gas National Championships - neither performance quite good enough to seal a spot at this July's World Championships in Shanghai.
Both the 200m British spots have already been taken but the door is still open in the 100m and Webb could yet seal a trip to the Far East at next month's ASA National Championships in Sheffield.
But Webb, who recently upped sticks and moved to the Somerset Cheetahs, insists his long-term plan is reaching London 2012, having just missed out on a place at Beijing 2008 by a whisker.
"It has been a big year for me in terms of transition, after the Commonwealth Games I moved coaches and I moved clubs and that is the first time I have ever really done that," said Webb, speaking from a British Swimming warm weather training camp, powered by British Gas.
"At the British Championships unfortunately the few things that didn't quite go to plan were the bigger things so I didn't qualify for the World Championships in Shanghai in the 200m breaststroke.
"While I am disappointed it wasn't the greatest result to not go and not qualify, it isn't the end of the world and I would rather sacrifice this year to swim well next year, that is one of the tough decisions you have to make in the sport and it is just something that I hope pays off.
"I missed the Beijing qualifying time by 0.03 seconds in the 200m, which was gutting so I am anxious for that not to happen again and obviously London will be a once in a lifetime experience. That adds to the desire to go."
Webb, who finished tenth and 11th over 100m and 200m respectively at Delhi 2010, is only too aware of the size of the task awaiting him with plenty of competition within the British ranks at present.
A blanket could have been thrown over Michael Jamieson, Andrew Willis and Kris Gilchrist in the 200m final back in March and Webb admits the hard work to prove himself best in Britain next March has already started.
"Unfortunately from my perspective the men's breaststroke is probably the most competitive event in the UK because while you have very strong women's freestyle swimmers they also have relay races so do have opportunities to fill four or six places," he added.
"But in the breaststroke you are only ever an individual and you have two places and that is it and I think there are five or six of us all around similar times.
"Andrew Willis swam really well, he swam out of his skin, but he has been there for years, he has been coming through and everyone within swimming you know who is coming through.
"It was only a matter of time really and it does absolutely prove that you can't rest on your laurels.
It was my first bad performance in six years and my first bad performance in six years meant I didn't make the team but I can't afford to do it next year."
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