THEY say patience is a virtue and Hartlepool swimmer Jemma Lowe admits she has it in abundance in her pursuit of a maiden global international medal.

The 21-year-old, a butterfly specialist, announced herself on the world stage on her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008 - finishing an impressive sixth in the 100m final.

More than three years later, with two World Championships and a two-year spell in the US, Lowe is yet to claim a global medal - but it now appears a matter of when and not if.

Despite a poor World Championships the year after the Beijing Games, she claimed 100m bronze at the Commonwealth Games last year.

Lowe built on that by reaching the final of both the 100m and 200m on her World Championship return in July - even entering the latter as the fastest qualifier from the semi-finals.

But it was British teammate Ellen Gandy who earned the plaudits winning 200m silver as she ended eighth and seventh respectively. However, Lowe remains optimistic about the future.

"I am really pleased with my results this year especially as I didn't know what to expect after changing my programme from Florida to Swansea," said Lowe, who as part of British Swimming's Big Splash campaign is urging people to take up swimming for 30 minutes, once a week.

"In such short space of time I have managed to swim a new personal best, which I hadn't done for about three years since the last Olympics.

"I made two world finals in China which was a pretty good achievement as there is such big depth at the moment.

"I obviously wanted to make finals at the World Championships but you always end up wanting that little bit more and to reach higher than what you were aiming for.

"And going into a final ranked number one doesn't happen very often but if that were to happen again I would have had the practice of experiencing it before.

"I always try my best and I have always been up there with the top dogs in the world - I just haven't managed to get it exactly right on the day yet, but I am patient and I know it will come.

Lowe almost had to settle for just a 200m berth at this year's World Championships - only edging out Fran Halsall for a swim in the 100m by one hundredth of a second at the second of two trials in June.

It took a personal best from Lowe to trump the five-times European and Commonwealth champion from 2010 - and she is expecting nothing less at the Olympic trials in March.

Lowe will compete at the European Short Course Championships next month and spend time in the US before then and is determined to earn a second shot at the Olympics.

"I am about two months into winter training now after a break for the summer and training is very difficult but we are all getting stuck in and working hard," said Lowe, who is helping to promote the 1,000 pools across the UK offering Big Splash events, taster sessions, and special offers to customers.

"Everyone knows the Olympic trials will be hard in every single event. Everyone right now is training the best they can and all I can do is give everything I have got at the trials."

* British Swimming's Big Splash campaign is supported by principal partner British Gas, and supporting partners Kellogg's and Speedo. For more information on great swimming activities and offers visit bigsplash.co.uk