Bree sets the record straight

AFTER THE hat-and-goggles fiasco of Monday evening, Ireland wrote its own little chapter of the Water Cube fairytales yesterday when Andrew Bree shook off four years of frustration to make the 200-metre breaststroke semi-finals - becoming the first Irish swimmer to progress beyond the Olympic heats since a certain Michelle de Bruin in 1996.

This was one of the best Irish Olympic swims of all time, as Bree led from start to finish, knocking almost two-and-a-half seconds off his Irish record in the process. His time of 2:10.91 was the 12th-fastest of the 16 qualifiers, and a little more improvement could well see him into the final.

He returned to the Water Cube this morning and no matter what the outcome there, yesterday's performance had the feeling of redemption written all over it.

After swimming in the Sydney Olympics as a 19-year-old, Bree missed out on Athens four years ago by a split second - and for six months afterwards had effectively quit the sport.

Early last year, he lost his funding from the Northern Ireland Sports Council. He secured the Beijing qualifying time with an Irish record of 2:13.15 posted at the US Nationals in July 2007. But early last April it was announced he had returned a positive to a doping test at the European Championships last December.

On appeal, this was accepted as a trace of levmetamfetamine, Bree escaping with a warning after explaining he had used the US version of a Vicks inhaler instead of the British, which doesn't contain the drug.

This was welcome water under the bridge for the 27-year-old native of St Helen's Bay in Down, and he was understandably buoyant as he walked through the mixed zone yesterday evening, looking every bit the world-class swimmer at the peak of his career.

"Yeah, that was good," he smiled. "Very good. I felt good, felt controlled, and on pace with all my strokes. But I was just watching the TV there to make sure I was through, because even with that time, it was still going to be close. But looking forward to getting back into the pool for some more now."

Bree had clearly been coming into the form of his life, having swum an Irish 100-metre breaststroke record last Saturday as part of his final warm-up.

"Well the 200 metres is my stroke," he added. "Like I said the other day, I feel like I'm sprinting over the 100 metres. It was good to get into my own stroke. I know that inside out now.

"It's also good to get rid of that 2:13 (national record). It's been hanging around for a while.

"I always knew I was going to go faster, but it was good to get into the 2:10s. Now, the focus has to be on 2:09, because that's what it's going to take to get into the top eight. But with all the pace work I was doing, I always knew I was going to swim fast. It was just good to finally go out and do it. It's fun, too, to finish with a time like that.

"I said to my folks earlier today that if I turn, and I'm 50 metres behind, I know I'm going to have to put the hammer down. But I knew all way through I was ahead.

"With the turns, I was able to see the rest of the field. Lucky lane seven, I suppose, because being out there I was able to see everybody. So the draw of the heat actually helped as well.

"But swimming is all about keeping the stroke. You can't be looking around you too much. So I just kept to my game plan and worked for the line."

Understandably, Bree refused to revisit the hat-and-goggles fiasco that on Monday had left Melanie Nocher struggling with a leaking pair of goggles that left her virtually blind throughout her heat of the 200-metre freestyle.

Bree was again wearing a generic swimming cap yesterday as the Irish team awaited delivery of new shamrock-adorned caps with the proper-sized sponsor logo - solving the problem that had caused some considerable fuss poolside in recent days.

"Well, I'm not really going to comment on that. That was just negative stuff being generated. We're staying away from it, keeping focused on the good things, and moving on."

He was, he added, always concentrated on his own performance, and reckons there may be more to come.

"Yeah, and I didn't even reshave," he said. "I've got a wee bit of stubble here. Look at that (rubbing his chin).

"But I went out fast, because that was the plan, 1:02, and bring it back. I'll just rest down now for tomorrow, and we'll see what happens there."

The fastest qualifier, Daniel Gyurta of Hungary, posted yet another Olympic record, 2:08.68.

Seventh of the qualifiers was the American Eric Shanteau, who has been writing perhaps the greatest fairytale of all in the Water Cube this week.

Just two months ago, and a week before the US Olympic trials, Shanteau was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He still qualified for Beijing, and when doctors reckoned his cancer was fully treatable and shouldn't progress too much during the Games, the 24-year-old postponed surgery to fulfil his dream of swimming in the Olympics, having missed out on Athens.

"A lot of times you come to the Olympics and put maybe too much pressure on yourself," he said after qualifying. "But I've kind of got an out with cancer, in that it's put it all in perspective."

Incredibly, his father is also in Beijing, despite being treated for lung cancer.

"He's hanging in there, too," he added. "There's a lot more to life than the Olympics, and I think having learned that lesson really quickly has helped keep this whole thing in perspective for me."

So then, the Water Cube fairytales continue.