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Key:

• Sydney: 2000 Olympic Games
• Fukuoka: 2001 Long Course World Championships
• Moscow: 2002 Short Course World Championships

men's breaststroke

Men’s breastroke throws up some intriguing prospects for these games, being one of the relatively weaker areas of Australian swimming. Whilst of course the Aussies are still strong in real terms, the favourites are undoubtedly from other parts of the Commonwealth, and satisfyingly the home nations are well represented in that category.

England will have high hopes of medals in this section and have a great pedigree to live up to, with the clean sweep of the medals in the 100m event in 1990 the pinnacle to date. This year’s contingent of Darren Mew, James Gibson, and Adam Whitehead, may not be as dominant as Moorhouse et al and win everything, but they will be great medal chances at all three distances. Gibson has had the best year of the three so far, an currently sits atop the 50 and 100, rankings, having set Commonwealth records at both of these distances this year. Mew has also had an encouraging build up, having broken the longstanding British record in the 100m at the trials, before Gibson took it back again, and will be looking to add to his 1998 bronze medal. Coventry’s Whitehead will aim to repeat his 1998 silver medal performance in the 300, but is currently better placed in both the 50m and 100m rankings. Much will depend on those around him, and whether he can produce his best form on the day. Gibson and Mew remain more realistic contenders.

When pullbuoy spoke to James Gibson about his main rivals, as well as singling out Darren Mew, he was quick to bring up Canada’s Morgan Knabe. Knabe set a Commonwealth record just prior to Gibson’s effort, and sits second on the ranking lists of the 100 and 00 and third for the 50, so will be looking for three medals. He’s a tremendously experienced competitor, with Olympic and World finals behind him, and will be tough to beat in all of the events.

The Australians do have a trick up their sleeve however in the shape of Jim Piper. He set a Commonwealth record in the 200m in the Australian trials and is some 3 seconds clear of the field in the rankings for that event, in which he must start as a clear favourite. He’s a little off the pace in the 100m, but can't be discounted, as like all the Aussies, he will race tough on the day.

South Africa's Terence Parkin may be down the rankings, but he will be another swimmer with eyes on the medals. The Olympic finalist has had a tough 2002 in breastroke terms, performing rather better in the medley events, but he is to be ignored at your peril, as he is undoubtedly a class act. Which brings us, last but by no means least, to the other big home nation hope, Scotland’s Ian Edmond. He’s been a little below par this year, but is till fifth in the current rankings for the 200m. A swim near his Scottish Record of 2.12.70 should see him onto the podium, and if he’s on form, he may just go close to Nick Gillingham’s British Record of 2.11.29.