ADRIAN O'CONNOR'S determination to secure a qualifying time for the Atlanta Olympic Games was given a valuable boost at the first session of the British Grand Prix meet in Leeds last evening.

The 23 year old New Ross swimmer won the 50 metres backstroke in 27.88 seconds. Although it is not ban Olympic distance this was a sparkling effort only 0.23 seconds - short of his own 1994 Irish record set in Edinburgh. This confirmed he has the long sprinting pace for: the 100 and 200 metres backstroke to come.

Marian Madine of Belfast, in temporary exile in Derwentside, was marginally more unfortunate. She conquered what appeared to be a strong 200 metres butterfly final line up but her winning time of two minutes 17.93 second was 3.61 seconds short of the tough Olympic qualifying time.