FINA supports Smith

MICHELLE SMITH'S startling breakthrough received timely support yesterday from Samuel Freas, president of FINA the international swimming federation.

"When I saw her in Florida earlier this month I predicted she would be the star of the Games," he said. "People suspect her vastly improved times because she is a woman, and 26 years old, but who can say for certain at what age development begins?

"Look at Sergei Bubka. Until he became a world class pole vaulter nobody realised he could also run 10.3 seconds for the 100m."

The vote of confidence from FINA's president came as Irish officials pressed Olympic authorities to release the result of a drug test on Smith and end continuing controversy over her remarkable performances in Atlanta.

Irish team officials said they wanted the result of the compulsory test, which was taken after her 400 individual medley triumph on Saturday.

Indications were that she had passed the drug test. International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials said the had not recorded any positive results from Saturday.

Normally the IOC would not be required to inform countries of a negative test. Urine samples taken for drug analysis are only numbered - not named. Testers only link - up the sample with an athlete if it is positive.

But the Irish team's medical officer Joe Cummiskey said: "We have asked them for the result so that we can release it. They (the results) are meant to be out within 24 hours. There has been such a discussion about it. We want to know what the result is."