POOLE swimmer Jacob Peters is to make his Olympic debut as he lines up for the heats of the men’s 100 metres butterfly in Tokyo today.

The 20-year-old, who attended Poole Grammar school and was a member of Poole Swimming Club, trained at Bath National Centre alongside eight other Olympic hopefuls.

Butterfly specialist Jacob joined the squad last summer as part of the ‘return to training’ programme that allowed elite sportspeople to resume their preparations in selected safe and secure training environments following three months of lockdown.

Speaking ahead of his flight to Japan last week, he said: “I was planning on moving to Bath last September, so it moved my transition three months forward.

“The facilities are amazing, and the training squad is really hard working, which creates an environment where it’s easy to push ourselves forward.”

Members of the Bath National Centre cohort have already experienced success in the at the Games, with Tom Dean achieving two gold medals in the 200 metres and 4x200 metres freestyle.

Bournemouth Echo: Jacob Peters (second from left) in his Team GB kit at the Team Bath Sports Training Village with the other eight Olympic swimmers who train at the University of Bath (including his housemates Kieran Bird, fourth from left, and Brodie Williams, fourth

Peters will line up alongside fellow Brit and double silver medallist at Rio 2016 James Guy, who also trains at the Bath National Centre, in the heats for the men’s 100 metres butterfly at 12pm on Thursday July 29.

He said: “The Olympics is something that every little kid watches, and my mum used to have it on every TV in the house.

“I’ve always been a fan of watching it but when I started swimming at eight, I never dreamt I would get this far. It was only later in my career when I was around 13 that I started to really believe I had a shot, that I could do this well.

“That’s when I really started pushing myself to be the best I can be and having finally made it, I feel great and really proud of myself.”

Bournemouth Echo: Jacob Peters swimming in heat 5 of the Men's 100m Butterfly during day four of the 2019 British Swimming Championships at Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow.

Elsewhere, windsurfer Emma Wilson, from Christchurch, also claimed two race wins to move her into the lead of the women’s RS:X fleet.

The 22-year-old is following in the footsteps her mother Penny who competed in the Barcelona Olympics some 30 years ago.

Bournemouth Echo: Emma Wilson, 22 from Christchurch, competing in the RS:X class at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Pictures from Sailing Energy / World Sailing

Speaking after her two races on Wednesday, July 28, Emma Wilson said: “It was really good today, I had two really good races, but I was just a bit over the line in the last one. I don’t know, I’m happy.

“I’m just trying to focus on my thing and go around inflatable masts fast and that’s all I can do – just keep smiling.

“I was going quickly. I wasn’t really expecting to go that fast but I know me and the Danish girl have been training really hard in Weymouth with the group of boys at home and we have been fast there so it was a bit like Weymouth out here today.”

Having won races eight and nine in the qualifying races, of which there are 12, and now ranked first in the event’s leader board, Emma is now in hot contention for a podium finish in the medal race on August 1.