TEENAGE swimming sensation Nicola Jackson is getting ready to take on the world Down Under.

The 16-year-old star will officially learn later today that she has been selected to represent Great Britain at this summer's Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Already a vital part of Britain's world record-breaking 4x200m freestyle team, Nicola will get her first taste of the biggest sporting event of them all.

A member of County Durham's Derwentside Amateur Swimming Club, Nicola's gruelling training regime in recent years has finally paid off.

The pupil from Richmond School, North Yorkshire, said: "I've been training eight times a week for two hours at a time for this.

"It's been quite hard not seeing my friends as much because I've been training all the time, but now I'm starting to go places I can see that all the hard work is beginning to pay off.

"I've been to world class events before, but I'm told the Olympics is something special. The atmosphere is meant to be brilliant."

She booked her place at Sydney after recording one of the top four times in trials at Sheffield recently.

Nicola has an impressive record in the pool, being part of the British team that broke the 4x200m world record at Athens in March.

David McNulty, head coach for the Derwentside club, said: "I remember I sat down with Nicola two years ago and told her that if she wanted to get to the Sydney Olympics she could make it.

"She'll use these games for experience for the next Olympics in 2004 when she'll be 20.

"Hopefully, she'll enjoy herself this time so she'll be totally relaxed with it in four years' time."

Nicola, of Beechfield Road, Richmond, jets out to join the Great Britain Olympic village on Australia's Gold Coast on August 17. She'll have time to settle in and train hard before her first competition in September