Steven Manley's 12 gold medals at the Leinster senior and junior swimming championships at the weekend represents the best achievement by any Irish competitor this season.
The Terenure College SC swimmer has shown notable improvement since joining Kevin Williamson's camp. His feat at the province's premier event could hardly have been imagined at this stage of his career.
The fact that no records were broken had more to do with the timing of the event than the ability of the swimmers and Manley, at 16, fairly scattered good fields with determination and great technique. From 100 to 1,500 metres, Manley, who is a pupil at St Conleth's College, was supreme and he also won three silver and a bronze medal. No doubt his achievements will be noted by Irish selectors this weekend.
The youngster will be hoping to earn selection for the European short-course championships in Portugal next December.
If most of the plaudits went deservedly in the direction of Manley, whose huge contribution led to overall victory for the Terenure club at the Sportsco venue, the girls of Portmarnock - Edith Kearney, Susan Ryan, Lyn Donnely and Joy McGlynn - did well to pick up the best women's club award.
Meanwhile, FINA has established entry times on two levels, A and B, for the Sydney Olympics. In addition, any country having no qualified swimmers may enter one male and one female, regardless of time, in one event of their choice.
