Hebborn, nicknamed Poppet, trained for two years in Australia

Bury St Edmunds swimmer Chris Walker-Hebborn says he opted to miss out on the European Championships to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games.

The 19-year-old will not be joining Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington in the Great Britain team for the Budapest event in August.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I need more of a confidence build-up ahead of going into the Commonwealths.

"I don't think it will effect the way I sit with the team."

The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi in October, two months after the European Championships, but Walker-Hebborn is concerned that many of the European competitors who do not have Commonwealth commitments will be going all-out in Hungary.

He said: "That will be their big meet of the year and they'll be racing fast, whereas we'll still be in heavy training, getting ready for the Commonwealths.

"I didn't want to go in with that sort of confidence knock-back."

The 200m backstroke British record holder is being touted as a genuine medal contender in Delhi, a prediction he does not disagree with.

"That's the plan. I think I'm going in second at the moment," he said.

"I just have to step up on the day and hopefully come away with a bit of tin."

Walker-Hebborn, who trains in Bath, made the move into senior competition for the first time in 2009, finishing ninth in the 200m backstroke final at the World Championships.

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