Kathleen Dawson is keen to take advantage of Team GB's strong female contingent at Tokyo 2020 by inspiring the next generation of talent, and hailed the 'incredible' Adam Peaty.

Team GB's selection for the delayed Olympics saw more female athletes chosen than males for a summer Games for the first time in 125 years.

Dawson is making her debut appearance at an Olympics in a competitive 100 metre backstroke event, in which she goes up again Kaylee McKeown, Regan Smith – the former having broken the latter's world record last month – and Kylie Masse, all of whom have gone under 58 seconds this year.

At the European Championships, Dawson swam a 58.08 to break new national ground and she hopes to be part of a strong showing leading the way for the talent of tomorrow.

"It's great to see actually that there's more women than there are men on the team, it has been more male dominant in the past," Dawson told a roundtable of journalists.

"I'm really proud to be a part of that, especially as from my University of Sterling team there are more female athletes going than male athletes for the first time.

"It's a great thing to be a part of I think. It just shows women can step up to the same level as men.

"It is a really good thing to see all these women on this team. I think everyone should be really proud of themselves and it is definitely an inspiration for the next generation coming through."

Dawson is banging on the door of a podium finish, which she believes it will take going into the 57s to achieve.

While there is a clear determination to do so, Dawson insists she will not become "fixated" by winning a medal but vowed to fight with everything she has to get on one of those three steps.

"Yeah it definitely is a reality. I'm not going to try and think too much about it or try and chase too much," she added.

"I'm just going to go in and swim the best race I can. I'd love to go to a 57 then I'll know I'll have given them a run for their money.

"I can't speak for Team GB but personally I won't get too focused or fixated on medals because it will just end up with heartbreak if I don't come back with a medal.

"But I know whatever I do I'll fight to the end so if it results in a medal then great, if it doesn't I know that I'll have given it all my best and I'm going to give the girls a fight for it."

Dawson is one of five University of Sterling swimmers on the team, alongside Cassie Wild, Aimee Willmott, Duncan Scott and Ross Murdoch.

"It's been lovely. I feel like we're all quite a big family at Stirling, the boys as well, but with the girls here we have each other's backs and it's great to be with them," she said.

"It's definitely shifted my mental state from 2018 onwards, I feel kind of bulletproof right now mentally."

But there is another superstar giving Dawson and the rest of the team motivation in the form of 100m breaststroke world record holder Peaty, who is aiming to become the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title.

"You kind of forget how good he is until you see him swim and you think 'oh actually...'," she said. "You become kind of desensitised to it. He is incredible."