Tym Glaser

NOW, I'M cynical by nature and any world record-breaking feat raises my eyebrows; however, what's happened at the European and Australian Olympic swimming trials has sent those hairy caterpillars flying off the top of my head.

Get this, at the current Australian champs in Sydney, five - yes five world marks have fallen including the men's 50m free and the women's 100 free, 50m backstroke and 200 and 400 individual medleys!

Earlier in the month, at the Euro champs in the Netherlands, five records were also set - the men's 50 free (subsequently lowered again in Sydney before it had a chance to dry off and be ratified) and blue riband 100 free and the women's 50 and 400 frees and 4x100 free relay.

Toss in American Natalie Coughlin's 100 backstroke record in February and Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry's new 200 backstroke mark achieved a day before Coughlin's feat and you have records falling at, well, a record rate. Spooky, huh?

Now, I don't want to accuse any of the young splashers of cheating. Techniques are better, the suits are becoming more and more high-tech and the athletes may simply be superior, but more than a dozen world records in less than two months! What's going on here?

Oh, and before I forget, Mr Michael Phelps, who won six gold at the Athens Games, and his world-beating American friends won't have their trials until the end of June in Nebraska.

Maybe, if you can have fast tracks for the sprinters, you can have fast pools too, but just how you speed up water in a pool is a little beyond me. Maybe they rig up one of those wave-making machines; I just don't know, some things appear beyond explaining nowadays.

fun times in beijing

Of course, all this is going to lead to some mighty fun (or funny) times in the Beijing pool come the Games in August.

The clash between Australia's Eamon Sullivan (50 free record holder), Frenchman Alain Bernard, who broke Sullivan's 100m mark - also set earlier in the year, and Phelps in the sprints should be fantastic.

The women's sprints should be equally spectacular with record-breakers Marleen Veldhuis (50m) of the Netherlands and Aussie Lisbeth Trickett (100m), formerly Lenton, lining up on the blocks with who knows which American star.

Then there's the women's 4x100 freestyle relay in which the new record holders from the Netherlands will face fierce challenges from traditional powers Australia and the US.

Also, the women's backstroke races are shaping up as classics between Coughlin, Coventry and 50m record-holder Sophie Edington of Australia.

Through all of this, I haven't even mentioned the host Chinese who will invariably toss up a few surprises of their own in home water.

Phew, I need a break. Pass me a glass of fast water please.

Later …

tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com.