Great Britain's swimmers are set to enter the final phase of their final preparations for the Olympics when they compete at the asa Championships in Liverpool starting on Thursday.

For more than half the squad Beijing will be their first Olympics and coaches and support staff have been working hard to make sure they are best prepared to step on to the biggest stage of their career.

The squad, which excelled at the World Championships (25m) in Manchester in April, has continued to show promising form and women's team head coach Ben Titley has enjoyed seeing athletes lowering records and believes there is more to come from the young squad.

"Preparations have been excellent for the Olympic team going into this final stage of preparations for Beijing," Titley said.

"Through national and international meets since the trials many swimmers have broken national records (Joanne Jackson, Jemma Lowe, Hannah Miley, Fran Halsall, Gemma Spofforth) whilst in tough training and the signs are good for some great swims in the next month or so."

The American swimming team has set down a marker for the rest of the world after breaking nine world records during their Olympic trials last week, a fact the British squad are well aware of.

"Obviously world swimming is moving on too," Titley added. "But our team, with a mix of youth and experience, is certainly keeping pace, as well as making our relays the strongest they have ever been."

The Olympic team will be competing in their final meet in Picton Pool, Liverpool this weekend as athletes attempt to add to their competition exposure before they begin their taper.

"the asa Nationals in Liverpool are our last chance to get the team together before we head to our holding camp in Osaka, Japan," said Titley. "Team building sessions will take place as well as the final racing opportunity for the athletes before the Olympics, however, this weekend the process is far more important than the results with most athletes still training hard."

"Athletes will have just under two weeks of training in their home programmes before a 10-day camp in Japan, before heading into Beijing four days before the first day of swimming."

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