McAllister hopes Wales' golden girls can cause a big stir

Gary Baker on 24/06/2012

Jemma Lowe (pictured right) can cause a big stir at the London Olympics if she hits her best form, says mentor Bud McAllister.

Lowe, 20, has been swimming well in training and, after qualifying in March for the Games over 200m butterfly, believes McAllister, the coach at Swansea's Intensive Training Centre, she can reach the final if she pulls out all the stops.

"Jemma came here to us from the US (United States) after the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and last year we saw a big improvement," said McAllister, who guided American legend Janet Evans to four Olympic titles and six world records.

"She is right in the mix. She will have to learn to cope with the pressures of big championships, and then she can get to the final."

Lowe is currently on 2mins 06.37secs over her distance but McAllister said: "I think she will go 2.05mins."

Georgia Davies also qualified, like Lowe, in March when she was second in the British Olympic Trials 100m backstroke behind Gemma Spofforth, and is an excellent 14th on the world rankings.

McAllister reckons she may go close to the final as well, with Jazz Carlin battling to become the fourth Welsh member of the 4x200m freestyle relay side.

"Georgia is really close and is ranked just outside the top ten in the world but most of the medals goes to those people in the top five so, with two or three years of improvement, I think she can get there."

While the Welsh aces go to London, the next generation of youngsters are in action at the Swim Wales British Games Summer Nationals in Swansea.

McAllister hopes that they will become the new stars to take up the mantle of Britain's golden girls - and boys, in Ieuan Lloyd and long distance ace David Davies.

The American said: "I plan on staying here for a while. What I do is the perfect job for me and I reckon to be here for four more years or longer."

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