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Young Australian swimmers set to impress in Beijing

Such stars as Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett are taking a post-Olympic break, but a new set of Australian swimmers are making their first splashes toward the 2008 Beijing Games.

A 30-member Aussie swim squad with 13 Olympians and 25 members 22 or younger could make an impressive showing at the World Short Course Championships, which opened here yesterday in a 25-meter temporary pool at a basketball arena.

"Attendance has been affected by the Olympics. It was a draining experience," Aussie coach Leigh Nugent said. "For them to come here and have another go is pretty courageous.

"We are going to see some fantastic swims. I think we will see world records. I would predict quite a few of them."

Aussie Jade Edmistone, 22, set a 50-meter breaststroke short course world record of 29.90 seconds last month in the Aussie short-course nationals, under the old mark of Sweden's Emma Ingelstrom from 2002.

"More world records are falling in short course. We're really starting to hit that end note," Aussie veteran Matt Welsh said.

Welsh, who set a 50 butterfly long course world record at last year's World Championships, was second in the 100 backstroke and third in the 200 back at the 2000 Sydney Olympics but settled for fifth in the 100 back at Athens.

Welsh figures to duel Aaron Piersol, the American who won the 100 and 200 backstroke gold medals at Athens.

Lisbeth Linton, a 19-year-old Aussie who was third in the 50 freestyle at Athens, was impressed with the temporary facility hosting the five-day event.

"The Olympics aren't just about the racing. I learned a lot about myself," she said.

"These Olympics were a stepping stone for me. That's why I decided to do this meet. I wanted more experience for the future, looking ahead to the Beijing Olympics," she said.
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