Buxton's Abbie Wood selected for Team England at upcoming Commonwealth Games

Wood, who represented Team England at the last Commonwealth Games in Australia, will be part of a ten strong team to compete at the games in Birmingham.

And the Loughborough Uni swimmer says she is a different proposition this time around following her experience at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I do feel like I’m a very different athlete to what I was four years ago,” she told the swimming.org website

“I was very nervous at Gold Coast and I feel like Tokyo has just built my confidence, so it’s a lot more excitement in the last few months leading up to the Games rather than nerves.

“Obviously they will be there on the day but it’s not as nerve-racking as it was when I was 18-years-old.

“Before, with the Gold Coast I was just very happy to be selected for the team. I am this time too, of course, but in 2022, I feel like I’m ready to race and get among all the racing, rather than just being there for the ride.”

And Wood (22) is hoping to feel the benefit of having the home fans right behind her.

She said: “I can only imagine that Birmingham will probably be better because it’s a home Games.

“We’ll get that extra bit of support which will be nice. I’m very excited for Birmingham, especially since I had such a good experience at the Gold Coast.

“I think I definitely have to get used to having a crowd again and I think it will be extra loud for all the English team which is obviously exciting.

“I feel like I have changed as an athlete and I use the crowd to spur me on rather than scare me away.

“Obviously my parents have got tickets and just being able to see them in the crowd on the day will be so nice because it’s been so long since they’ve got to do that.”

She will be joined by Adam Peaty, Tom Dean, Anna Hopkin, Max Litchfield, Molly Renshaw, Ben Proud, James Wilby, Luke Greenbank and Alicia Wilson.