ALICE DEARING has sealed her place at Tokyo Games starting next month and will be the first black woman to represent Great Britain in an Olympic swimming event.
The 24-year-old finished fourth in Saturday's qualifying event in Setubal, Portugal. She was competing in a 10 kilometre marathon race where the top nine finishers earned a place at the Games.
There was one spot to grab and for which she was competing with fellow British swimmer Danielle Huskisson, who finished 13th in the field of 47.
Dearing, a world junior champion in 2016, told British Swimming after the event: "I'm really excited, relieved, grateful, it's a huge mix of emotions.
"I can't quite believe it, I've been daydreaming about this day for the past year and a half, ever since the first lockdown came in.
"So to have the day arrive, have everything fall into place, thankfully, have such a great team around supporting me, to get in, swim to my potential and qualify the Olympic Games place is just a bit surreal right now, I can't quite process it. It'll probably take me quite a while to sleep tonight!
"I'm just so grateful to everybody who has helped me along the way, everyone who has believed me, encouraged me.
"When I was younger, I never really thought about being an Olympian - I thought, 'oh wow, it would be so cool', but I knew how much hard work went into it and honestly didn't think I was cut out for it.
"So I'm really proud to have proved myself wrong, in a way, and to achieve beyond my wildest dreams.
"I was happy to make nationals, I was happy to make regionals, I was happy to make counties - and to be put up for selection for the Olympics, it's an incredible achievement and I'm so relieved and grateful and happy for everything I've invested."
Moreover, to promote inclusivity and diversity in the sport, she has co-founded the Black Swimming Association.
