Laure Manaudou (FRA), the Olympic 400m freestyle champion, suffered defeat at the hand of Hannah Miley (GBR) over 200m backstroke, 2:12.66 to 2:13.11, at the Scottish national championships in Glasgow before returning to heavy training at the Tollcross pool in readiness for Beijing. The times reflect the heavy work that is still part of the lives of some heading east within the month.

Today, Manaudou will race her last 400m freestyle before the Games - and before watching events across the Pond in Omaha, where Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler, among others, will doubtless remind her of the monumental task she faces. With each passing week as Beijing approaches, the words of her former coach Philippe Lucas will resonate: 'We have to be under 4 minutes to think about gold in Beijing'. The 'we' no longer involves him, the monument of Lucas's work her three medals from Athens 2004 - gold, silver and bronze in individual events - and a stunning performance at Melbourne 2007 - gold in the 200m and 400m, the four-length battle Down Under breaking open the dam that had built up behind the 13-year world-record reign of Franziska van Almsick (GER).

Franzi may well be in Beijing, providing German viewers with her view of things. She's in good form, I can tell you. The German nation wakes up to the former world champion's radio exercise programme each morning - and very nice it is to hear her dulcet tones.

Back in Glasgow, Ben Stasiulis (FRA) clocked 55.46 to win the 100m backstroke; Chris Cook (GBR) put in a 28.84 win in the 50m breaststroke; the 200m butterfly went to Christophe Lebon (FRA) clocked 1:56.61 to lead the 200m butterfly; Aurore Mongel (FRA) wn the 50m butterfly in 26.29l; Camille Muffat (FRA) took the 800m freestyle in 8:27.83 ahead of teammate Sophie Huber, on 8:32.80.