The Ireland selectors will name at least four Sydney Olympians, currently training long course in the US and in Britain, to compete at the World Championships in Japan in July.
Unfortunately for Swim Ireland, the Irish Open Championships are fixed for Lurgan at the same time. The clash will badly affect the appeal of their show-window, four-day fixture from July 25th-28th. The world tests run from July 17th to the 28th.
Chantal Gibney, Andrew Bree and Michael Williamson, all in the US, and Emma Robinson, in Bath, are virtually certain to be named for Japan. "Really, there is nothing that can be done at this stage to avoid the clash," said national coach Ger Doyle. "If the Irish championships are brought forward the top swimmers would be away preparing long course anyway."
Moving the Irish dates to after the world tests would be an anticlimax for swimmers who would have peaked for the worlds.
The Home Countries schools international, originally fixed for Wrexham last week but called off by the Welsh association due to the foot-and-mouth crisis, is likely to be staged in September.
July is packed with high-profile championships, starting with the Scottish nationals in Edinburgh and the European Junior Championships in Malta early in the month. The European Youths Championships and the Irish age-group tests follow a week later.
