JEMMA LOWE turned agony into ecstasy on day five of the British Gas Swimming Championships, booking a spot at this summer’s world equivalent at the second attempt.

Lowe cut a frustrated figure on Sunday in the 100m butterfly, the event she won Commonwealth bronze in last October, after finishing third and missing out on world qualification.

The 20-year-old returned to the pool for the 200m equivalent on Tuesday but looked sluggish despite progressing out of the heats with her time of 2:12.26minutes well outside the world qualifying mark.

However, Lowe showed her true colours in the semi-final just ducking under the time before completely blowing it out of the water on the way to silver behind Ellen Gandy in Wednesday’s final.

Lowe, who claimed world short course 200m butterfly bronze in December, clocked 2:06.94 to book her world trip to Shanghai along with Australian-based Gandy by over two seconds.

“I knew it would be a race between Ellen and I,” said Lowe – who returned from a two-year stint in America after the Commonwealth Games last October “I couldn’t really see where she was at times but I’m really happy to go 2:06minutes and get that selection for the World Championships.

“I haven’t been my near to my best times in about three years so I’m delighted with that and now I’m going to Shanghai so I’ll be back in training to try to go even quicker out there.

“Everyone dreams of getting a medal at the World Championships because you have got the whole world watching. I’ll be putting in the training now to see if I can make that podium.

“I wasn’t sure if I had any more in the tank after the heats and semi-finals but I gave it everything and I did well which was really pleasing.”

Lowe was joined in the final and on the podium by fellow North-East flyer Jessica Dickons who battled to bronze after touching home in 2:10.96 in Manchester.

And while that wasn’t good enough to join Lowe on the plane to Shanghai, Dickons revealed it was good enough to book her own trip to the Far East and August’s World Student Games.

“My aim was just to get the time for the World Student Games,” said Dickons.

“I needed to go 2:11.5minutes to go to so I’m half a second under that, which I’m delighted with.”

• The nation’s leading energy supplier British Gas is the principal partner of British Swimming, and is supporting the sport at all levels, from grassroots to our elite athletes. www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming