SWINDON’S Jazz Carlin is hoping to see the benefits of a hard summer of training when she arrives in Rio for the Olympic Games this week.

Having spent the last 10 days at a training camp in Belo Horizonte, Carlin and the rest of the British swimming team are heading to the Olympic village in Rio de Janeiro today, with the Swindon swimmer going in the heats of the 400m freestyle in just five days’ time.

The 25-year-old has been working hard since securing her place at her first Games back in April with intense training sessions, many of which took place whilst competitions like the European Championships were going on.

“I have had a really good, consistent block of training for it,” said Carlin.

“Before the trials, it was a bit tough and I didn’t have the most consistent block with the little niggle of an injury.

“I have really had a tough and consistent block of training and racing in the build-up to Rio. I think I have been consistently racing well and I can’t wait to put my feet up and have some rest now.”

Carlin says she has shaken off the rib injury that hampered her in London back in May, as she claimed two European silver medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle.

Having missed the chance to compete at her home Olympics in 2012 due to a bout of glandular fever, that has come as a huge relief for the Commonwealth gold medallist and she says she can now concentrate on doing her best in the pool come Sunday.

“Touch wood, the injury has been great since the Europeans,” she added.

“I have been seeing the physio a lot and working a lot on my exercises for it but it has been absolutely fine and that has been so important that I have put in a really solid block of training that I needed.

“It’s always a bit of a worry when you are an athlete. Injuries are out of your control and you can do everything you can but sometimes, you have got to let everything happen and it is pretty tough when you just want to train really hard.

“Training has been tough but I think that is what makes it all worth it in the end.

“You put your body through hell all the time but it is nice when you get to the end result.”

Carlin goes in the heats of the 400m freestyle on Sunday between 5pm and 7.30pm BST.