South-east Essex swimmers will be under the microscope when they compete at the National Age Group and Youth Championships this week.
A quartet from clubs in the district will be in action at Ponds Forge in Sheffield from tomorrow where British Swimming staff will be watching their performances.
The exercise is part of the organisation's Smart-Track initiative aimed at identifying potential world-beaters of all ages and levels of experience, before steering them towards excellence on the global stage.
The local quartet are the Canvey duo of Jason Daniels and Chris Chenery, Basildon Phoenix's Henry Wood and Basildon's Chloe Frances, who swims for Chelmsford.
Bill Sweetenham, Britain's national performance director, stressed the need for Britain to uncover, nurture and develop its swimming potential.
"We have to find ways to identify the most talented swimmers in Britain because there's an Ian Thorpe or a Michael Phelps here somewhere," said Sweetenham.
"But he doesn't even know he can swim. We have to find that swimmer and others like him. And we will lift up every stone and shake every tree to find them."
Published Wednesday July 28, 2004
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