“It’s a massive achievement to have even got there. It’s a big jump from where we were but I think it’s a great stepping stone towards the Olympics.”
Leighton, who has led the team for eight years, also thinks the prospect of playing in London has been central to the squad’s improvement.
“I think everybody who plays Water Polo in Great Britain just wanted the sport to be better,” said the 28 year-old.
“Once the Olympics were confirmed there were more opportunities to raise our game. We need to provide water polo with a legacy and 2012 has sped up that process for us.
“One of my dreams for the Olympics is that water polo is viewed here as it is on the continent – how it’s played, how it’s represented.
“When we were in Hungary it was always on TV, everywhere you went people talked about it – there are even water polo restaurants. We may never get that here but hopefully this is our time to shine.”
GB begin their campaign against Hungary on Wednesday, followed by Russia on Friday before they play the Netherlands on Sunday.
