Foster shows his Olympic potential

England's Mark Foster, the world champion and world record holder, broke two all-comers records in the 50 metres freestyle and butterfly over the weekend at Salthill's Leisureland 2000 international Swim event.

In yesterday's win in the 50 ban for using a banned substance. Foster, who is Britain's Olympic hope for this year's Sydney Games, took the first prize in 22.35 seconds with Fibbins and Olsen behind. Foster's time eclipsed that of Vladimir Predkin set 10 years ago. His record time in the 50 metres butterfly was 24.15 seconds.

While not all of the Olympic-bound Ireland team competed, Swim Ireland spared little to bring some of the world's top swimmers to Ireland. Most of the big names were swimming for money, the cost of the meet estimated at close to £20,000, £8,000 coming from the Government.

The Irish record holder (22.76 seconds) in the 50 metres freestyle Nick O'Hare and Hugh O'Connor from New Ross competed, and O'Hare later said he was content with his mid-season times in both the 50 metres and 25 metres.

"My goal was to get under 24 seconds for 50 metres and under 52 seconds for the 100 metres and I've achieved them," he said.

Foster, who has competed in Ireland twice before, declared that an Olympic gold in Sydney is his primary aim. "Obviously the Olympics are the big picture but also the World Championships (short course) in three weeks time," he said.

Domestically Trojan's Muiris O'Riada continued to show improvement in the 50-metres backstroke. The Dublin swimmer lowered the Irish junior record from 26.39 seconds to 26.23 seconds when leading off the winning 4x50 metres medley team.

Olympic hopeful Chantal Gibney was just edged out of the women's 100 metres freestyle by Holland's Rijn Van Hofwege while Lee Kelleher's efforts in the women's 100 metres butterfly were dented by the European junior silver medallist from Denmark Ditte Jensen. Jensen's time of one minute, 1.20 seconds erased the all-comers mark of one minute, 1.32 seconds set by Michelle Smith de Bruin in February 1994.

In the men's 50 metres breaststroke Trojan's David O'Malley was up against the two best in the world. Winner Jeremy Linn, a gold medallist in the USA relay medley team in Atlanta and ranked number two in the world, managed to edge out Olympic champion and current world record holder Frederik Burggraeve of Belgium in one of the races of the day.

In the 400 metres freestyle Colin Lowth took second place to Holland's Stefan Aartsen. Another second place went to Cormorant's Niamh Cawley. Again the race was dominated by a visiting swimmer, Holland's Brenda Starink, who finished in 29.53 seconds.

The event ended with a one-length sprint for £300, won by Foster. In the women's race over the same distance Holland's Rijn Van Hofwege won the £300 with Niamh Cawley collecting £200 for second place.