Edinburgh-based swimmer Lizzie Simmonds causes stir across the pond

Rarely can one casual conversation in a swimming pool have generated such a response as Lizzie Simmonds' last Friday afternoon.

Needing to swim outside of her allotted sessions with the University of Edinburgh to make up metres ahead of a weekend visiting her boyfriend Tom in Bristol, Simmonds went to the Royal Commonwealth Pool.

It is the 27-year-old's regular training haunt and where she took British titles in the 100metres and 200m backstroke a week earlier.

But, for a public session, with the boom dividing a 50m pool sectioned off for lessons and lane swimming, the two-time Olympian was uncertain where she should swim.

Simmonds said: I got in the wrong end to begin with. Half of the pool was being used for swimming lessons and they had lanes in the rest of it.

They made it really shallow, less than a metre. I was swimming along thinking 'it's a bit shallow'. That's when I met the lady.''

Simmonds, who is quick-witted and personable, took to Twitter to share her conversation with a fellow swimmer whose name she did not catch.

After complimenting Simmonds on her ability, her companion suggested she seek to take the sport seriously.

Simmonds hesitated before telling her fellow swimmer that she went to a couple of Olympics''.

The lady responded: Me too! Which sports did you get manage to get tickets for?''

It has been re-tweeted more than 26,000 times, has more than 200,000 'likes' and has been seen by 5.5million people.

That is partly because broadcaster Piers Morgan shared to his 6.4m followers, many of whom are in the United States.

When the account of US broadcaster ESPN's SportsCenter and its 35.6m followers shared the tweet on Sunday, things took a more sinister turn.

It was just a funny conversation I had, because it was so awkward for us to get past the point that we'd gone to the Olympics for totally different reasons,'' Simmonds added.

I've never been attacked on social media. It was weird it had come from such an innocuous story.

It's been taken out of context. A lot of feedback for what in my mind was an amusing little thing that happened on a Friday afternoon.''

Simmonds shared the story to her 20,000 followers for amusement, but since has shared some of the responses she received.

I don't think anybody who knows me has called me pompous or arrogant or obnoxious,'' she added.

I'm not a big name, I'm not a celebrity, people don't recognise me in the street and I have no expectation that somebody should know who I was.''

If she is recognised, it is by people within the swimming community.

Simmonds, who moved to Edinburgh a year ago after swimming at Loughborough and Lincoln, is also asked for coaching tips from those with whom she shares a lane.

She added: I've had a lot of people that thought I've retired because I'm swimming in a public session. That's a bit awkward as I'm about to go to the Commonwealth Games.''

She will be competing for England for a third time on Australia's Gold Coast next month