Britain's Baker to Skip National Champs -- September 12, 2002

CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 13. WORLD record-holder Zoe Baker has decided to pass on both the British Short Course Championships in Cambridge and the European Short Course Championships in Germany in December, since the 50m breaststroke -- the event in which she holds the world record -- is not on the Olympic program.

Baker, 26, who trains in Christchurch, New Zealand, said she prefers to focus her preparations on the FINA World Cup series that starts in November.

Last July, Baker set a global mark of 30.57 seconds for the 50m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games.