AN omission in the latest edition of Circular, the monthly magazine on European swimming, could be construed as either a snub or a gremlin. Either way, Michelle Smith does not figure among the worthy recipients of compliments thrown out by the president of the European organising body, LEN, Bartolo Consolo.
Consolo emphasises that "in all our disciplines we need personalities". He goes on to name a number of competitors who excelled at the Europeans and Atlanta Olympics over the past two years. These duly include Smith's great rival, the now-retired Kristina Egerzegy, conquered conclusively by the Rathcoole woman at the highest level.
Yet, there is no mention of the Dubliner on a page which shows Ireland - through the agency of Smith, although she is again not mentioned figuring in third place behind Russia and Hungary on the Atlanta medals table that relates solely to European swimmers.
The Irish champion took seven medals in all from the European championships in Vienna (two gold and a silver in 1995), and three gold and a bronze at the Olympics.
Consolo insists that stars are the energy, the fundamental ingredient that is necessary to complete the circle of efforts from LEN on the organisational level".
He calls for more efficient communications, a better "feed" to the national and international media - even though he does not feel the need to acknowledge, in print, the remarkable feats by Smith in Vienna or Atlanta.
For Smith's part, it is not certain that she will compete at the next major world class event, the European Sprint and Short course championships at Rostock in Germany from December 13th to 15th.
The triple Olympic champion has not, as yet, returned to full-time training and is unlikely to re-enter competition without the necessary levels of preparation that would give her a realistic chance of producing a world class performance.
Conversely, she could return to full-time, daily preparation in time to afford her the opportunity of potentially reasonable attacks on major records before the Christmas break.
An incentive for all swimmers at Rostock is the innovation this year to provide prize money for new European records. The total guaranteed prize fund for such records is £154,000. Every new European record set in any of the 38 events (heats or finals) will be in the prize money.
Meanwhile, another major coaching seminar has been arranged for the Marino Institute on Griffith Avenue for Sunday, November 3rd, featuring Glen Christiansen, the celebrated Swedish Olympic coach.
There is a relevant Irish connection in that the Swedish coach helped prepare Earl McCarthy for the Atlanta Games. Proceedings get under way at 10.0 a.m. and concludes at 4.45 p.m.
