British Swimming Championships 2010
Dates: 29 March-3 April Venue: Ponds Forge, Sheffield
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, highlights on this website

Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, who becomes eligible for Great Britain on 1 August, won the women's 50m breaststroke at the British Championships in Sheffield.

Ajulu-Bushel represented Kenya at last year's World Championships, after which she decided to switch nationality.

World champion Liam Tancock withdrew from the final of the men's 50m backstroke, which was won by Luke Wood.

Robert Bale claimed the men's 200m freestyle title, while Amy Smith easily won the women's 50m butterfly title.

Ajulu-Bushell, 16, won her final in 31.18 seconds, well clear of second-placed Stephanie Slater (31.93) and third-placed Lowri Tynan (31.96).

However, swimmers can only qualify for events on the Olympic programme this week, and because only the 50m freestyle of the one-length events is included in the Olympics, places for the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships will be awarded on a discretionary basis.

Ajulu-Bushell is the African record holder in the 50m breaststroke, eclipsing the mark set by former double Olympic champion Penny Heyns.

Born in Manchester to an English mother and Kenyan father, Ajulu-Bushell moved to Africa before returning in September 2007 and enrolling at Plymouth College, where she is a class-mate of diving world champion Tom Daley.

"I was born here, I have a British passport, my mum is English," she said. "Having moved back here and once the choice was presented to me I felt more English."

The 24-year-old Tancock was just 0.48 off his own world record in Monday's 50m backstroke semi-final but he will concentrate on the 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle, and once qualification is secured he will then be all but certain to be awarded a berth in the 50m.

Salford's Wood won the title in 26.17, ahead of Scott Hathaway (26.20) in second and David Gregory (26.70) in third.

In the 200m freestyle final, Loughborough's Bale finished in 1 minute 47.82secs, ahead of Glasgow's Robbie Renwick and defending Commonwealth champion Ross Davenport.

Smith of Loughborough was a clear winner in the 50m butterfly final in a personal best time of 26.88, ahead of Ellen Gandy (27.20) and Louise Pate (27.42).

Plymouth's Antony James qualified fastest for the 50m butterfly final in 24.41 and Daniel Sliwinski heads the field for the 100m breaststroke final after qualifying in 1:01.45.

Fran Halsall is quickest into Wednesday's women's 100m freestyle final ahead of Smith, while double World Championship finalist Lizzie Simmonds eased into the 100m backstroke final ahead of world champion Gemma Spofforth.

The qualifying procedure for the Commonwealths, to be held in India, differs according to nation.

Swimmers winning finals in Sheffield will almost certainly appear at October's Games in Delhi, but the selection process for the Commonwealths will be completed by the European Championships and individual English, Welsh and Scottish national trials at different dates in the summer.

A separate process applies in Northern Ireland.

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