Edinburgh success underlines progress

THE SCOTTISH ASA championships in Edinburgh's Commonwealth pool at the weekend represented a revealing barometer of how high Irish swimming standards have spiralled.

It says a lot for the targets some swimmers are setting themselves, when disappointment with performance overshadows the winning of a long course gold medal against foreign opposition.

Colin Louth from Drogheda, one of Ireland's brightest prospects who swims out of the Cormorant club in Dublin, provided a good example of how aspirations have soared for members of the national squad.

Although Louth took first place and the gold medal over 200 metres butterfly, his swim proved a personal disappointment because he did not improve on his best time to strengthen his claim for an Olympic place.

Louth would be a good bet to send to Atlanta if the Olympic Council of Ireland were into the business of blooding competitors with a view to the future. Unfortunately it does not work this way, and the OCI could not be expected to pick competitors on promise alone.

Consequently, it does seem, at this stage, that Louth must concede that his chances of competing at the big event next month have finally disappeared.

The IASA were at the ready to push his claim for Olympic inclusion, but the talented youngster was not at his best in Edinburgh, going almost two seconds adrift of his time of 2:04.41 which he achieved at the British Super Finals in Sheffield.

With the closing date for entries set for July 5th, and no other suitable opportunity available to him before then, Louth's fate now seems sadly inevitable.

The Irish contingent in Edinburgh proved refreshing for the spectators. They claimed a total of 21 championship medals, three of them gold.

Ciaran Kearney's win over 200 metres backstroke was a defining feature of the gala. IASA secretary Celia Millane suggests that the most significant Irish success of all came in the 4 x 100 metres medley team relay. The women's 4 x 100 metres freestyle team finished in the silver medal position.

Kearney was runner up in the 1,500 metres freestyle, while Louth added a silver and bronze to his gold. The triumphant list was enhanced by the excellence of such as Stephen Saunders Michael Williamson, Graham Beegan, Mary Corless, Gail Hamilton, Aoife Fitzgerald, Naomh Cawley and the Robinson twins Emma and Louise.

The pride of Irish Masters swimming is virtually guaranteed to be upheld in the world series in Sheffield which starts at the weekend.

Dubliners Paul Emmett and Richie Mooney, two of the most dedicated competitors in this area of the sport, have done sufficiently well on the national and international circuit to give rise to high prospects of good results.

Emmett is being sponsored by Irish Estate Properties and can justify the trust placed in him in the three and a half mile lake swim. He is a former Dun Laoghaire barb our winner in the Irish Times Cup, as well as having won the Liffey swim. In the triathlon, he became the first home countries swimmer to win the coverted "Iron Man" award.

Mooney is a multi national breaststroke champion whose daily training routine has earned him success at the highest level at home and abroad. He is entered for the 50, 100 and 200 metres.