British Swimming Trials: Scots the 'backbone of GB team'

Michael Jamieson is aiming to get back to the form which won him a silver medal at London 2012

Olympic bronze medallist Steve Parry believes Scotland's swimming stars are contributing to British success more than they have for a decade.

Commonwealth gold medallists like Ross Murdoch and Hannah Miley are aiming for a Rio 2016 spot at the British Trials.

"The strength and depth in Scottish swimming is unbelievable," said Parry.

"If you go back 10 years there was probably only a few Scots on the British team. Now they're the backbone of the team which is fantastic."

Murdoch, Miley, Dan Wallace, Craig Benson, Michael Jamieson and Stephen Milne are among those competing at the trials at Glasgow's Tollcross International Swimming Centre starting on Tuesday.

"Look at that 100m breaststroke with Ross Murdoch and Michael Jamieson," Parry told BBC Radio Scotland.

"You don't only have two strong contenders to get to the Games, you've got two of the best swimmers in the world."

Jamieson, 27, was pipped to Commonwealth gold by 22-year-old Murdoch and has being trying to re-discover the form that won him silver at the London 2012 Olympics.

"A lot of people want to see Michael Jamieson come back, get on that team and be vying for medals again because I think it really shook him, the Commonwealth Games experience," said Parry.

"But he's a class act and it would be great to see him replicate what he did in London in 2012.

"There are hundreds of people here this week hoping to win a seat on the plane to go to the Olympic Games.

"I imagine every single one of them from a very young age will have imagined this scenario of either standing on the rostrum at the Olympics or wearing the tracksuit.

"These trials are probably more nerve-wracking than actually going to the Games because the top swimmers know this is where they can mess it up."