Race to be in 2012 team starts now for Payne

Payne, who claimed the 10km title in Rome two years ago, is joined in the women’s race by her Stockport ITC team-mate Cassie Patten.

Daniel Fogg, Commonwealth 1500m freestyle bronze medallist, and Tom Allen challenge in the men’s race with no place for Olympic silver medallist David Davies, who failed to make the cut.

Qualification for London is clear cut with a top-10 finish securing a spot in the capital.

However, should just one of the pair finish in the top 10 only that swimmer will qualify for London and if neither achieve qualification in China, just one spot will be available to fight over.

Payne has also been selected for the 1500m freestyle and the 4x200m relay in the pool but making the Olympic team is everything for the 23-year-old.

“The podium isn’t even near my mind,” said Payne.

“My main goal this whole year has been to make the Olympic team.

“Every step of the way I’ve had specific targets. My main focus is open water and I am going to do everything I can to make sure that race is the best.

“I’m not going to hold anything back just because I know I’ll be swimming later on. I’m going to give everything I can to that and then it will be a case of recovering as well as I can for the next five days for the heats of the 1500.”

Neither is she looking at a second stab at qualification, saying: “It’s not important to me.

“We don’t go to the Olympics just to be there, we go because that is the biggest event of our lives and that is where we need to do what we do best.

“So if I am not in the top 10 the year before then I would not be in the best of shape.”