THE ravages of winter and a lack of comfort with short course swimming mean Swindon’s Jazz Carlin has tempered expectations ahead of the European Short Course Championships.

Freestyler Carlin competes in the 200m, 400m and 800m in Herning, Denmark over the next few days, with the latter of these events kicking off her campaign tomorrow.

That will signal the 23-year-old’s first competitive appearance since the World Championships in the summer, where she agonisingly missed out on a medal with fourth in the 400m freestyle.

That said, it has been a positive year for the ex-Swindon Tigershark, who won triple gold at both the British Gas Swimming Championships and the British Gas International Meet.

The former Wootton Bassett School pupil has modest hopes for the next few days, though, revealing that familiarising herself with racing is the most important aspect of the competition.

“I’m not the strongest short-course swimmer so I’m using it to get race practice,“ said Carlin.

“It will be my first race after worlds, so it will be good to get stuck in again.

“I’m still in hard winter training which is the toughest part of the year and it’s really about going in and enjoying it.

“If it was long course I would be shooting for aims that are a lot higher, but as it’s short course I know that it’s not my strongest point.

“I’m going to do my best and I’m still going to go out and want to win, although realistically I’m just going out to have a good race and work on things I’ve been doing in training.”

Carlin is one of just 12 swimmers that will compete for GB at this week’s event, a relatively small line-up compared to some for major competitions in recent years.

And Carlin said she fully supports the decision of British Swimming to select more compact squads.

“It is quite a small team which will be different,” she said. “I think that’s something that British teams will have to get used to, that teams won’t be the biggest, or as big as they used to be.

“That’s something I’ve got to support because I’m part of British Swimming and I want British Swimming to do the best they can. Hopefully the next few years will be successful.”

Carlin has a busy December on her hands as following the European Short Course Championships, she will head to Glasgow for Duel in the Pool, which starts on Friday next week.

“I’ve got the chance to get a feel of short course racing again at Europeans, and hopefully at Duel in the Pool I can get even faster,” she said.

Also competing for Great Britain this week is Swindon-born Hannah Miley, who is expected to race in this morning’s 200m individual medley heats.