The 17-year-old, who in 2005, achieved five golds at the European Youth Olympic Festival and in the 2007 European Junior Championships won four golds and one silver, is one of a dozen Loughborough University based swimmers joining the British team at an Olympic holding camp in Japan.

There athletes will train whilst acclimatising to the humid conditions before moving to Beijing's Olympic Park just days before the Games begin.

Loughborough's swimming programme is backed by the leading UK wealth management company St. James's Place, a sponsorship which will continue through to the build up to the London Olympics in 2012.

"The support we get from St. James's Place has been of huge assistance to us all," said Lizzie.

"It's a massive input and has helped the squad receive additional coaching, allowing more swimmers to reach their full potential."

Loughborough University Swimming is the most successful training programme in the country and was the UK's top ranked team for both men and women in 2007.

It is recognised as one of the best swimming environments in the world, and is rivalled only by the big American University programmes.