FRESH FROM winning two medals for England at the Commonwealth Games, Diggle swimmer Jessica Lloyd is desperate to use those successes as a springboard to competing at the 2016 Olympic Games.
“It has made me even more determined to be in the Great Britain team in Rio de Janeiro and not just in the relays, but also in the individual races,” explained the 19-year-old former pupil from Saddleworth School.
Jessica admitted that after competing at London Olympics she found it difficult in 2013 to regain her drive and motivation for the sport.
But after winning a silver in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay and bronze in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay in Glasgow, she says the sight of the two medals will provide the focus for Rio.
The only disappointment in Glasgow was not competing in the finals of the two relays having swum in the heats.
That meant Jessica didn’t receive her medals on the podium with her team-mates, but at the end of the competition.
Jessica explained: “It was disappointing not to swim in the finals and receive the medals with the rest of the girls, but I was happy to have helped the team.
“I was given them by head England coach John Rudd at a team meeting the day after the swimming had finished. That was nice as the whole of the swimming team was there to share the moment.”
Jessica also swam in the 50m freestyle in Glasgow and narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
There was no respite after returning from the Commonwealth Games as she was soon off to Sheffield to compete in the National Swimming Championships.
And there was further glory as Jessica won gold in the open age 100m freestyle to become national champion and bronze in the 100m butterfly in which she also knocked two seconds off her previous best time.
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