SELECTED Commonwealth swimmer Karen Pickering is in Malta this week as part of an all-female British training camp.The Suffolk sports star flew from London on Monday, as part of a rigorous pre-Commonwealth agenda.

By Debbie Watson

SELECTED Commonwealth swimmer Karen Pickering is in Malta this week as part of an all-female British training camp.

The Suffolk sports star flew from London on Monday, as part of a rigorous

pre-Commonwealth agenda.

Karen, who took part in the British Super Grand Prix in Glasgow last week, will spend five days training with the other 17 UK women selected for this year's Commonwealth Games.

"It's just one part of the Commonwealth preparation, and it's a good opportunity to work alongside other members of the team," she told the Evening Star.

"I've taken part in several mixed-sex camps already as part of the Commonwealth lead-up, and this one is different in that the men will train in France for the week, while we'll be working separately in Malta."

Karen managed only a third place in the final of her freestyle event at last week's Glasgow event, but at this stage in her hectic training schedule, no swimmer would be expected to be performing at their peak level.

ASA director of communications, Dee McIntosh, said: "At this stage in the Commonwealth preparation no swimmer is going out there looking for PBs, so it's really difficult to draw conclusions from the race results.

"Karen and the other swimmers are working on a very clear training and competitive schedule which came in to force as soon as the Commonwealth swimmers were nominated in the national championships of April."

She added: "Typically, they will compete once every three weekends and then attend the camps in between."

Karen's next competitive swim will be for the England ASA National Championships in Coventry at the end of this month.

The first swimming races of the Commonwealth Games will take place on July 30.