LAURA Wood failed to achieve the demanding qualifying standard set by Wales for the Commonwealth Games although she reached a final at the British long-course swimming championships at the weekend.

The 19-year-old from Chineham swam close to her best in her specialist event, the 200 metres breaststroke, to take eighth place after the heats. Her time of 2min 37.53sec put her into the final at the new Manchester Aquatics Centre, built specially for this summer's Games.

In the final, Wood, swimming as a member of the Welsh squad, was slightly slower, clocking 2:38.25 to maintain her eighth place in an event won by Jaime King of Bath University in 2:29.52.

Wales were expected to make a provisional announcement of their Games squad this week but, with only four of their swimmers reaching British finals at the weekend, final selection was likely to be delayed until June.

Her father, Steve Wood, said: "Laura was pleased to make the top eight in Britain, although she expected to go a little bit quicker in the final.

"We've just got to wait and see now."

Wales are likely to leave open a number of places in their 16-strong squad unless they follow England's example and include swimmers who failed to reach their own qualifying times.

Wood is returning to training with the Welsh squad at Millfield School before further warm weather training in Lanzarote next month.

The former Bishop Challoner schoolgirl has three more competitions before the Games. She swims in Sheffield next weekend before the Southern Counties championships at Crystal Palace one week later.

Her final outing before the Games swimming events start on July 30 is at the British grand prix finals on June 7-9.

Wood also reached the semi-finals in the 100m breaststroke at Manchester at the weekend. She clocked 1:14.75 to finish 15th in the heats and then 1:14.49 to finish 16th overall in an event won by Kirsty Balfour of Edinburgh in 1:10.24.

Jenny Clayton from Lychpit, who now swims for Glasgow, clocked 2:20.50 in the 200m butterfly heats to finish 10th overall.