The 26-year-old is no stranger to the pressures of Olympic year having navigated them twice before to feature at the Athens Games in 2004 and Beijing Games four years later.
However McClatchey could well end her Olympic career as it started after only securing a place for the London Games as part of the 4x200m relay team at the British Gas Championships in March.
McClatchey’s silver in the 200m fulfilled half the criteria for an individual swim however her time was 0.24seconds outside of that required meaning the one remaining place rolls over to the second trials.
Initially uncertain as to whether she would travel to Sheffield, McClatchey has now made her mind up, but insists it won’t be to the detriment of the three other swimmers selected for the 4x200m relay.
“I was really happy with most of my performances at the British Gas Championships,” said McClatchey – who also finished fifth in the 100m freestyle at the first trials in March.
“But I was disappointed not to have qualified individually for the 200m. I swam the time I needed in the semi-finals but then didn’t manage it in the final where it counted.
“While I was disappointed in the final I know where I went wrong and I know I can work on that and I will give it a good go to get the individual place.
“I’ve been working hard on my turns because they were pretty appalling at the trials and hopefully that will come into my racing soon and will help me cut chunks off my times.
“But I won’t be fully rested in June, my main focus is the Olympic Games and so I’m not going to try and rest down for June.
“I will go straight through and make sure I’m in the best possible shape for London 2012, regardless of what happens in June.”
McClatchey spent time with relay teammates Rebecca Turner, winner of the 200m at the trials and Britain’s only individual qualifier so far, Eleanor Faulkner and Jo Jackson in London last month.
That was as part of British Swimming’s national squad camp back at the Olympic Aquatics Centre and McClatchey is also eyeing the 4x100m freestyle relay team with two places on offer in June.
“I think that my 100m was good as well at the trials and I just missed out on a place in the 4x100m team but hopefully I can try and challenge for that in June as well,” she added.
“I have had a difficult time of it over two years with illness and injury and I didn’t even think that I would make the Games individually.
“But I was really pleased with my times, I dropped about a second from the previous year and I feel like I’m back to where I was.”
