Burnett set to bounce right back (From Bucks Free Press)

Burnett set to bounce right back

SIMON Burnett's first event at a major championships ended in disappointment but the Wycombe District swimmer promised: "I'll be back."

The 19-year-old missed out on a place in the final of the 50m backstroke but still has to swim in the 100m backstroke and 4x200m freestyle and wants to give the noisy crowd in the aquatics centre something to cheer about.

He said: "I was a little bit disappointed I couldn't perform for the crowd but I'll be back.

"The crowd were awesome. I wasn't going to wave to the crowd in the morning or evening session but when you hear the cheers, you can't resist it."

In the heats, Burnett swam 26.75 to qualify as the 12th fastest for the semi-finals in the evening.

And in the semis, Burnett put in a good swim to come in fifth in 26.78, leaving him on tenterhooks during the second semi-final to see if he had qualified.

But a fast second race meant Burnett missed out, finishing 12th again.

Burnett said: "It wasn't a bad time but I was disappointed at the start of the semi. My hand slipped a bit so it didn't go right at the start.

"But I thought I'd picked it up okay and the time was quite good."

He is now concentrating on the 4x200m freestyle and 100m backstroke where he will be up against Aussie legend Ian Thorpe, who has already broken his own world record at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia are hot favourites in the relay but Burnett is optimistic of England's chances.

He said: "I think the 4x200m squad have a very good chance of a medal. If we do everything right, we can win a bronze or a silver."

And Burnett is also hopeful of a place in an individual final.

He said: "I'm ranked about ninth at the moment in the 100m backstroke, so I'll be looking to get into the final."

Bermudan Roy-Allan Burch, 16, who swam with Amersham Swimming Club earlier this year, swam in the 50 metres backstroke on Tuesday and 100 freestyle yesterday the same event as Thorpe.

Burch swam 29.53 seconds in the 50 backstroke heat, just three-hundredths of a second off his personal best, but he finished in 24th place overall and missed out on the semi-finals.

He then swam 54.90 in the 100 freestyle, coming eighth in his heat and 23rd overall, again to miss out on the semis. Burch still has the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke to come and will be against Simon Burnett in the 100 backstroke heat tomorrow as they vie for a semi-final place.

August 8, 2002 17:00