Swimming: Burnett bids for Olympic place (From Bucks Free Press)

Swimming: Burnett bids for Olympic place

10:20am Friday 9th April 2004 in Wanderers

SIMON Burnett is bidding to become High Wycombe District Swimming Club's first ever Olympian this week.

The 22-year-old is in Sheffield battling it out on two fronts for a place on the Great Britain team to go to the Athens games in August this year.

The Commonwealth Games medallist is ranked number one in Great Britain at the moment in the 200 metres freestyle and is favourite to qualify in that event when the finals are held tomorrow night.

He has also been battling to qualify in the 100 freestyle, where again he is among the favourites to book his seat on the plane to Greece.

The final for that was due to be held last night at the time of hoping to press.

Three other Wycombe District Swimmers have also been at the Olympic trials after achieving Olympic Qualifying times this season.

Katie Ambridge is battling it out in the 100 and 200 metres butterfly; Alex Vine has been racing in the 200 and 400 metres individual medley and the 200 metres butterfly, while James Crawford has also been fighting it out on three fronts in the 100 and 200 metres backstroke and the 200 metres individual medley.

Amersham has also had two swimmers qualify for the Olympic trials. Fifteen year-olds Katie Towers and Victoria Robinson are in also in Sheffield this week fighting for places on the 400 metres individual medley and the 200 meters and the 100 metre and 50 metres sprints respectively.

Club spokeswoman Shirley Williams said: "It will be a great experience for both of them to be in such a high class competition. They have done tremendously well to get this far.

"We're just so proud of them for qualifying for the Olympic trials but we are really looking at Beijing for them, not Athens, but this will stand them in very good stead for the next time."