POOLE'S British junior champion Jacob Peters took on the world’s top swimmers as he won his second international cap in the south of France.

With Olympians starring in almost every event at the Canet International, the 16-year-old said the experience had been hugely helpful preparation for the World Junior Championship in Indianapolis in August.

Peters, whose butterfly opponents included Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos, Laszlo Cseh and Mehdy Metella, said: “Normally, you only see these people when they are at their best but it was good to see them mid-season, when it’s all about process and how you prepare rather than the end result.

“It’s not about finishing time but what you can do to improve.”

Peters, who trained through the meet, came 21st out of 49 in the 100m butterfly in 55.68 and was the youngest swimmer in the top 36.

He was 24th out of 62 in the 50m fly (25.31) and 21st out of 30 in the 200m (2:07.68).

“I raced well in the 50 and 100 but the 200 was just after the 50 and I didn’t cool down and warm up enough between them,” he said.

Coach Barry Alldrick was among the GB coaching team and the pair’s involvement fired the starting gun for two months of national and international competition for Poole swimmers.

Jazz McCrea is due to fly to Israel on Sunday for the European Junior Championship. And the 15-year-old admitted her selection had been a surprise despite making three junior finals at the British Championship in April.

McCrea, who will swim the 50m butterfly and freestyle in Netanya, said she was at school when the selection email arrived.

“Mum kept texting me to call her but I thought I must be in trouble for something so I ignored it,” she said.

“When Dad started texting as well, I thought I’d better check. When I saw the email, I was so excited and surprised and so pleased that all the work was paying off.

“It was like all my Christmases put into one.”

Her brother Leo McCrea, 13, who swims for Bournemouth Collegiate School, is hoping to celebrate his selection for England's junior talent development squad with more success at this weekend’s National Junior Para-swimming Championship in Sunderland.

Poole’s Thea O’Keefe, Emily Clarke (Loughborough University) and Chloe Plater (Mount Kelly) have been named in a 30-strong GB south west regional team for next month’s Zagreb international meet in Croatia.

Alldrick has been named as head coach for the trip with his successor at Christchurch Seagulls, Glenn Bailey, also on the coaching staff.

The swimmers will also be among Poole’s competitors at the British and English Summer Championship in July and August.