James Goddard may have to drop one of his two events at this summer's World Championships as well as the 2012 Olympics.
Schedule pushing Commenwealth champion to the limit
Double Commonwealth champion James Goddard could be forced into dropping one of his two events at this summer's World Championships as well as the 2012 Olympics.
The 27-year-old won the 200metres individual medley at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Manchester before returning to the pool an hour later for the 200m backstroke semi-finals where he qualified fastest for Thursday's decider.
The programme in Manchester replicates that in Shanghai this summer meaning the Stockport ITC swimmer will be faced with the same schedule made all the harder given he will meet the likes of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.
Of such a schedule, Goddard said: "It's really hard, really difficult. Ryan Lochte does it, Michael Phelps obviously did it eight times in Beijing.
Punishing
"But it's something I've got to do: I love both events. I don't really want to miss out on one.
"Backstroke is my main stroke but I really love the medley. I think I can win a medal in both so it's going to be a really difficult decision whether to do both or do one but right now I am just focusing on qualifying and after that I'll see what happens."
The Olympic schedule is even more punishing and Goddard was forced to choose in Beijing where he plumped for the medley, finishing sixth.
He said: "It's not out of the question. It's the Olympic Games and will probably be my last one so maybe I will have to throw my eggs into one basket and give it a real bash there.
"We'll see, I'm not really looking that far ahead. It's something I am used to in terms of knowing it is there.
"Like tonight I am trying to practise to do both back to back and see how it goes."
Goddard finished last year world ranked fourth in the backstroke and fifth in the medley although the margin between the Briton and Lochte, who heads both rankings, indicates he is closer in the backstroke.
Goddard and Joe Roebuck fought out their own private duel in the individual medley with the former holding off his Loughborough rival to touch in one minute 58.22 seconds, a winning margin of just 0.06secs, to replicate the result at the Commonwealth Games.
Roebuck, already qualified on the 200m butterfly, said: "I really enjoyed it. It would have been a lot nicer to have just got that finish but that's how it goes sometimes."
Ellen Gandy completed the butterfly double when she produced another world-class performance in the 200m to add to her 100m title.
Pleased
Gandy led from start to finish to touch in 2:06.13, 0.81 ahead of Jemma Lowe who was closing over the final length.
Gandy, based in Melbourne, now holds the two fastest times in the world this year.
Lowe is the second fastest woman and, while that bodes well for Britain, it must be put into context given this is the first competition swimmers have peaked for meaning there is no like-for-like comparison.
Gandy said: "I am just happy it's over. I've been nervous about it all week. I am just glad I could get in and win that race."
Lowe, who moved from Florida to Swansea ITC four months ago, also qualified for Shanghai.
She said: "Last night the last 10metres really hurt and I didn't think I would have any more in the tank.
"It was the final and I'd missed out on the 100 so I just gave it everything I had and just put my head down. I'm really pleased."
Adam Brown successfully defended his 100m freestyle title in 49.41 while Georgia Davies took the 50m backstroke (28.67).
Amy Smith heads the 100m freestyle field ahead of European champion Fran Halsall, Stacey Tadd and Michael Jamieson lead the women's and men's 200m breaststroke.
