JAZZ Carlin sees no reason why the British swimming team can’t surpass recent Olympics when they take to the water in Rio.

Despite the British team having an average age of just 22.4, with only one Olympic medal, Keri-Anne Payne’s silver in Beijing 2008, between them there is a confidence around the squad.

Carlin is one of 16 who will be performing at their first Olympic Games, but with a host of World and Commonwealth champions in their midst, the 25-year-old, who is a relatively old head, sees no reason why this squad can’t surprise a few people and beat London’s tally of three medals, or even Beijing’s total of six.

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Jazz Carlin in Rio

“The British team has got an incredible amount of experience and youth on the team and the amount of medals that have been won through that team is amazing,” she told the Wiltshire Times.

“Just to make the team, we had to achieve really tough qualifying times and it wasn’t an easy selection process.

“Just knowing that we had made the team, we knew we had achieved something special.

“You look at that team and you know you have got world record holders, world champions, world medallists, Commonwealth champions, European Champions, you have got it all on that team.

“Some of young ones who have just made their first senior team are going to be absolutely buzzing and it is just the excitement and they haven’t got any fear.

“They haven’t had that experience and they have no fear and they’re just going to go out and enjoy it and just have the time of their lives.

“It is going to be a great team and it is a bit of a smaller team from some of the other squads for previous Olympics but I think it is going to be a really exciting team to be part of.”

The team flew to Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday having spent 10 days at a training camp in Belo Horizonte and the Tigersharks swimmer believes they have created a bond that will hold them in good stead, with competition set to begin on Saturday.

“The swimming family is a really close-knit family and I think that will show when it comes to the competition,” she added.

“We have done a few training camps and competitions with the team and a lot of us have known each other for years and have been on teams together for a long time.

“We are already a close team but once we are out there it will be pretty special knowing that we are having that experience together.”

Carlin goes in the heats of the 400m freestyle on Sunday, with the heats starting at 5.30pm BST.