SWIMMER Stacey Houldsworth is through to the final of the 200m freestyle after her first day of competition at the British long course championships.

The Great Harwood ace is limbering up for four days of intense competition at the Commonwealth Games pool in Manchester, her main aim being to make the qualifying time for the World Championships in Japan this summer.

And the 20-year-old former Rishton High School pupil has revealed that she has enlisted the help of a psychologist to help battle her nerves.

Houldsworth just missed out on a place in the British squad for the Sydney Olympics last year -- because she didn't make the qualifying time.

She explains: "I knew I was capable of making the time but my mind got the better of me. I ended up swimming really badly at the trials when I should have done it."

Houldsworth has been working on methods devised by Canadian sports psychologist John Hogg to try to combat her 'demons'.

"It has made me realise that I was concentrating too much on what other people were doing, rather than what I was doing," said Houldsworth, who is coached by Dave Crouch at Rochdale.

"I have been working on exercises from his books and using stuff we have downloaded off the internet, and I am going to meet him later this year when he comes to Britain.

"We will be able to see this week if it has worked!"

Houldsworth began her British long course Championships campaign yesterday with heats and the semi-final in the 200m freestyle, where Karen Pickering is the favourite to take gold. Houldsworth finished seventh overall in the heats and finished sixth in the semi final, with a time of 2mins 3.42secs, to book her place in today's final.

The heats for the 800m, one of her stronger events, take place today.

The final of the 800m, where Rebecca Cooke is the hot favourite for gold, will take place tomorrow with the heats and final of the 400m, Houldsworth's strongest event, on Easter Sunday.

The event offers an opportunity to qualify for the World Long Course championships in Japan in July but it is not the only chance.

"If I don't make the qualifying time here there are other qualifying events in Sheffield, Scotland and another one in Manchester where I can qualify.

"I am quite nervous but I think that is natural."