Jemma Lowe safely negotiated the heats of the 200m butterfly at the Olympic trials in London.
Lowe progresses in 200m event
Double World Championships finalist Jemma Lowe safely negotiated the heats of the 200 metres butterfly as she looks to put her earlier disappointment behind her at the Olympic trials in London.
Lowe missed the cut in the 100m butterfly earlier this week, her third spot behind Ellen Gandy and Fran Halsall meaning she was locked out of the Great Britain team in an event which has immense depth.
The Swansea ITC swimmer's coach Bud McAllister feels Lowe has more potential in the longer race in which she just missed the final four years ago in Beijing, finishing ninth after going out under world-record pace.
The 21-year-old touched in two minutes 10.01 seconds at the British Gas Swimming Championships at the Aquatics Centre to move into tonight's semi-finals.
Lowe said: "The 200 fly is never the easiest of events. I just tried to be relaxed this morning and make it as comfortable as I could.
"I am pretty much confident of getting into the final as long as I don't fall in at the start or anything.
"I'm definitely going to give it everything to get an Olympic spot and I'm sure the other girls will."
For Gandy, the world silver medallist, it was a case of job done, finishing in 2mins 10.66secs as she bids to book her second berth.
The Bromley-born swimmer said: "That was good. Swimming the heats is always painful and the times are never really that flash - 2:10 hurts so much but it has to be done.
"I will just focus on the semi-final now."
Back to form
Jess Dickons enjoyed a successful junior career alongside Lowe at Borough of Stockton and is back on track after a loss of form and back surgery.
While her two rivals are favourites to qualify, the World University Games champion poses a challenge and today she clocked 2:11.32.
Grant Turner led the 100m freestyle heats in 49.69 ahead of Craig Gibbons and British record holder Simon Burnett.
The Loughborough ITC swimmer said: "I wanted to come here and blow the cobwebs away, and get into the meet with this first swim."
World Championships finalists Andrew Willis and Michael Jamieson led the way in the 200m breaststroke heats.
Willis, eighth in Shanghai, touched in 2:13.89, 0.23 ahead of Jamieson, who finished fifth in China.
Willis said: "I was focused - 200 definitely suits me.
"We saw in the 100s that trying to get into the final was a tough ask for anyone."
Jamieson also knows he will have to battle for a place given he failed to qualify in the 100m.
He said: "I'm over it now, I have to be.
"I have only got one chance left and I'm going to have a fight on my hands for this spot - no doubt about it.
"The 100s are done and dusted now. I can't change it so I will be ready for tomorrow night."
