LONDON, England, November 15. IN an attempt to prepare its swimmers for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, British Swimming has announced that next year's National Championships, scheduled for March, will feature morning finals and semifinals. That decision revolves around the International Olympic Committee's recent announcement that the swimming finals in Beijing will be morning affairs.
The British Championships, which will be held in Manchester, will span seven days and will also include consolation finals and junior finals in some events. While the meet will serve as a selection competition for the European Junior Championships and European Youth Olympic Festival, the primary focus is having the Olympic-caliber athletes feeling comfortable with swimming a championship final in the morning.
"This should provide a great opportunity not only for our senior athletes but for the vast number of our junior swimmers to get more swims under pressure at our British Championships," said Bill Sweetenham, the National Performance Director. "It will also greatly assist in selecting Britain's best team for the European Youth Olympic Festival and the European Juniors."