FORMER Scots PGC College student Max Ackermann started his career in a 25m pool in Warwick and is still training in a 25m pool.

In between, he has won medals galore at state and national level culminating in a third in the open 50m backstroke at last year's national championships and Olympic trials.

Two Australians were selected for each Olympic event but Ackermann was not swimming for a spot in the Olympics as 50m backstroke was not on the program.

He was not competing in major competitions this year but has his sights set on the Commonwealth Games trials next year and the July 23-August 3 games in Glasgow.

The 50m backstroke is on the program for the Commonwealth Games.

Ackermann doesn't want to be pigeon holed as a 50m backstroke swimmer and is still training for the 100m.

"I am not a 200-metre backstroker," he said.

Last year at the nationals he swam 25.86 seconds for the 50m and has a personal best of 55.9m for the 100m.

"My best chance of games selection is in the 50 metres but I also want to do a good 100m," he said.

Ackermann is now training with Simon Cusack in a 25m outdoor pool at Indooroopilly State School.

"I don't see it as a disadvantage to train in the shorter pool, you do more turns in a small pool," he said.

During the season Cusack's squad, which includes Olympians Christian Sprenger and the Campbell sisters, Kate and Bronte, swim three sessions a week in a 50m pool at Bellbowrie.

Due to swimming, he is studying three subjects a semester rather than four.

This means he has three years to go in his engineering degree at the University of Queensland, but plans to continue his swimming career.

"I want to give swimming a good crack," he said.

His aim is to finish in the top-two in next year's Commonwealth Games trials in one or both of his events in a time under that required for qualifying.