AROUND 30 swimmers from Nottinghamshire's Nova Centurion Swimming Club – including double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington OBE – are in contention for London 2012 qualification.

That headline figure of 30 swimmers builds on the 20 or so swimmers from Nova Centurion who were in contention for the Olympic and Paralympic Games four years ago in Beijing.

And it further builds on the already international reputation of Nova Centurion Swimming Club, a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council, Notts Amateur Swimming Association and the club.

The critical qualification sessions for Notts' swimming hopefuls take place from March 3-10 at the British Gas Swimming Championships in the official Olympic pool at the Aquatics Centre, in London.

As well as Adlington, others to watch out for include Jess Sylvester, Georgia Hohmann, Sasha Matthews and paralympian hopefuls Ollie Hynd and Charlotte Henshaw.

Nottinghamshire County Council, Notts Amateur Swimming Association and Nova Centurion Swimming Club have been working together to nurture swimming talent in the county for the last 35 years.

Bill Furniss, swimming performance director at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "To have 30 swimmers in contention for the Games is quite remarkable – it is an extremely high standard that swimmers have to reach to even get to this stage, and it further endorses the quality and standard there is at every level of Nova Centurion.

"It is a huge source of pride – but we are telling the swimmers to take one day at a time.

"Because of the success in Beijing and elsewhere in recent years nationally and internationally, the trials will take place in front of a sell-out crowd which is extremely unusual, but demonstrates the interest in swimming in this country at the present time.

"There will therefore be extra pressure on the swimmers during the qualification sessions, but it is nevertheless going to be quite an experience for them to perform in the Olympic pool as they compete for a place at London 2012.

"The opportunity to represent Great Britain here in London is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for our swimmers – but they are all very much concentrating on these trials in March first and foremost."

Matthews, Henshaw and Hynd are among Nova Centurion Swimming Club's swimmers who also receive Shining Stars funding from Nottinghamshire County Council to support their training and travel costs.

Glenn Smith, swim coach and development officer at Mansfield District Council is supporting Paralympic hopefuls Henshaw and Hynd.

Smith said: "We are definitely just focusing on the trials at present. The prospect of our swimmers competing in front of the biggest swimming crowd in Great Britain for some time is tremendous."

Nottinghamshire County Councillor John Cottee, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community said: "We are extremely proud of the swimming programme in Nottinghamshire which continues to produce success with outstanding athletes."

Roger Glithero, director of the East Midlands Amateur Swimming Association, said: "Nottinghamshire's model for supporting the development of swimming from a young age works.

"This was evident with the fantastic success in Beijing. Its approach to supporting swimmers from a young age, clubs working together and a squad system paid dividends and is a shining example about what is possible."