JO JACKSON cut a disconsolate figure in Delhi as her miserable 2010 continued on day one of the Commonwealth Games – missing out on a medal by the width of a fingernail.

Richmond-born Jackson has had a nightmare preparation for the Games seeing her training plagued by chronic asthma and failing to make the 200m freestyle final at this summer’s European Championships.

The 24-year-old was looking to put her setbacks behind her in the Indian capital but had to settle for an agonising fifth – just 0.19secs shy of the bronze medal.

And the pain was made all the more galling as she was forced to watch fellow GB team-mates Rebecca Adlington (bronze) and Jaz Carlin (silver) bag themselves a spot on the podium.

Hartlepool’s Jemma Lowe successfully managed her busy day one schedule to safely book herself a spot in the 50m butterfly final.

Lowe, who is competing for Wales, looked a little sluggish in the morning session, only making it out of her heats tenth quickest in 27.45secs.

But she shaved almost half a second off in the semi-finals to touch home sixth quickest in 27.02secs. And Lowe insisted her time spent training across the Atlantic had been her secret weapon in negotiating her hectic Delhi schedule.

“The semi-final was better than the morning,” said Lowe, who will swim in the 50m butterfly final today. “I really pushed to get into the 26.9second- mark but I was pretty pleased with my time and I gave it my best.

“The turnaround was not too bad because I train out in Florida and we do duel meets like this quite a lot where you have to swim twice in a day. So I am quite used to that. My coach prepares for me it, I got two hours back in the village so that was all right.

“I have really enjoyed Delhi so far. Everyone has been putting it down, but it has been great.”

Middlesbrough youngster Aimee Wilmott acquitted herself well at just her second major international event, finishing sixth in the 200m medley final.

“I was so pleased to make the final and I went a fraction quicker than I did in the heats so I can’t have any complaints,”

said the 17-year-old.

“It’s my first major Games final and a brilliant experience but you can never be totally happy with sixth whatever the competition.

“This was only my warm-up event and I’m an endurance swimmer, so it was a good way to just get in the pool and get a feel for swimming here.”

Away from the pool, Peterlee- born Alan Wills toasted a job well done on day one of the archery in the Indian capital.

Wills arrived in Delhi high in confidence having taken gold at the World Archery Field Championships in Hungary in July, and ended the recurve qualification ranked 11th, just 29 points shy of leader and local favourite Rahul Banerjee.

Meanwhile, on the tennis court, Middlesbrough-born Sarah Borwell successfully joined forces with Ken Skupski to progress from the mixed doubles first round with a 2-0 win over New Zealand pair Rubin Statham and Marina Erakovic.