BUTTERFLY double act Jemma Lowe and Jess Dickons should both be heading for China this summer – but not to the same destination.
The former Borough of Stockton duo claimed silver and bronze respectively last night behind Beckenham’s Ellen Gandy in the 200m butterfly at the British Gas Championships in Manchester.
More importantly, their times qualified Lowe for the World Championships in Shanghai in July – and should also take Dickons to the World University Games in Shenzhen the following month.
Lowe, 20, whose time of 2min 6.64sec was only half-a-second slower than Gandy’s, said: “I knew I had missed out on the 100m and so I just gave it everything.
“I put my head down and did a really good time so I’m really pleased.”
Lowe’s performance was characterised by a controlled first 100m and a strong second 100 – in contrast to her traditional tactic of going out hard and trying to hold on.
The change is an early product of her relocation from Florida to British Swimming’s Intensive Training Centre at Swansea, her relocation following the Commonwealth Games in October.
“I’ve been training on that [the pacing] with my coach Bud McAllister, because he knows that I have tended to go out fast in the past,” she said.
The tactic also worked well in Dubai in December.
There, Lowe moved from eighth at the halfway point to ultimately collect a silver medal at the short course world championships.
Former European junior champion Dickons is nowadays based at the Bath ITC,.
And she was last night more than half-a-second inside the qualifying time for the university championships as she came third in 2:10.96.
Dickons, who is aged 20, said: “I knew Ellie and Jemma were swimming amazingly well and I knew I was barely going to touch them so I just wanted to get to Shenzhen.
“I’ve never done the world university games before so it’s something to look forward to.
“And I’m so happy with the time.”
Dickons, who rejoined former Stockton and former Derwentside coaches Graeme Antwhistle and Dave McNulty at Bath 18 months ago, added: “I am at uni there and really enjoying that.
“And I am gradually starting to swim better as well.”
ROGER GUTTRIDGE
