Leatherhead Swimming Club’s Katherine Wyld insists the long-term goal of London 2012 meant the decision to miss next month’s European Swimming Championships was a no-brainer.

Wyld has been battling a knee injury for the past two months and despite extensive rehab had to take the tough decision to miss the trip to Hungary.

The 24-year-old will now turn her attentions to the Commonwealth Games in India in October but it is unclear as yet when she will be able to return to the pool.

But Wyld insists the bigger picture of her preparations for the London 2012 Games has helped her find a silver lining to her injury hell.

“I will not be going to the European Championships now because of my knee injury and it is really disappointing to be missing out,” said Wyld.

“I had just finished my degree and I was really looking forward to for the first time ever getting into the sport full-time and being able to concentrate only on my swimming.

“So I am really disappointed to be missing out but I guess with London 2012 in my mind if I was going to get an injury at a time it was better to get one now.

“In a four-year cycle, I have got the time to recover and, in the short term, now I can focus on the Commonwealth Games and try and go there and make up for missing the Europeans.

“I don’t know when I will be back in the pool yet and the doctors can’t tell me, which is quite difficult, but, if I am still able to do work on my arms, which, while it is not enjoyable as I’m not that great, will hopefully mean I can be in good shape when I get back to swimming full time.”

Wyld revealed she also takes some solace from the fact that the European Championships were always second in the pecking order to the Delhi Games in her 2010 plans.

But, while quick to insist getting back in the pool ready for the trip to sub-continent tops her list of priorities at the minute, Wyld admits events in the capital in two years are never far from her thoughts.

“Like some of the other guys in the GB team, the Europeans came second to the Commonwealths in my priorities this year so, hopefully, I can get over my injury as soon as possible and get back in the water and do well in Delhi,” said Wyld.

“I have a great team at Nova Centurion and we do talk about London but it is not something we focus on all the time.

"The other day when we found out about Stella McCartney designing the kit all the girls in the team chatted about that so it is something that everyone is thinking about.

"But I just need to worry about getting back fit now and getting ready for Delhi.”

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