Commonwealth champion David Carry, of Scotland, is putting his best foot forward in pursuit of the kind of excellence he will need in the pool to take on challenges from Australia, Canada, South Africa, the old enemy, England, and others as the Games come round again in 2010. 

To sharpen up for his intended date in Delhi next October, Carry tells his local media in Aberdeenshire, the 28-year-old is aiming to improve his land agility with skills that he can convert to aquatic speed.

In the last shiny suit season, Carry, double champion at Manchester 2006, struggled to find former form and made the world champs for Britain in Rome as a member of the 4x200m free relay. A team player through and through, he aims to be in Delhi on solo steam too.

 “The season is going to be one big build-up for the Commonwealths,” Carry told The Press and Journal in Aberdeen. “I’m going to concentrate on agility on land, doing running drills and sprints. If you develop your speed and power outside the water, you should be able to transfer that on to your kicks and turns. Off the walls is where the British team have been falling behind a bit so we want to improve that. And the best way to improve strength is to do running drills." 

Motivation and the thing that continues to help him to get out of bed of a dark morning is "any chance I get to race against the best in the world". On the way to Delhi, Carry will also seek a berth on the Brit team at the European championships on magnificent Margaret Island in Budapest in July. Carry, with his greyhound-like physique and feel for water gained over many years of build up, is among those who are most likely to feel the greatest benefit from a return to textile suits and a cut back from bodysuits under new suit rules in 2010.