MICHELLE Smith has done Ireland and her family proud and her achievements must be She is a wonderful Irish women. And she is a wonderful ambassador for Ireland.

I have known her for a long time. I looked after her as doctor to the Irish Swimming Association and through one of her Olympic attempts.

She was always a technically swimmer.

Michelle was always very strong and dedicated, but like all other Irish swimmers, she did not facilities.

She has benefited from meeting someone who has given her explosive strength and corrected the technical difficulties. She is a bright woman with the ability to learn from her mistakes.

The current effort in some quarters notably in the US media to tarnish her achievements is regrettable.

Michelle Smith's gold medal wins were achieved through dedication, intelligence and good coaching. That is what is responsible for her wonderful achievements.

I also know that she could not have achieved her win without the aid of individual coaching and bodybuilding. She owes a great deal to her husband, Erik De Bruin, and to the superb Belgian coach who gave her individual attention.

The Americans are bad sports. They have always been. I have seen them at three Olympics where I officiated as doctor to the Irish team.

The attempts to undermine her achievements are saddening. Her progress is quite understandable.

I HAVE known her for a very long time and I know that as a younger woman she was technically very good. When she got involved with her husband, he corrected her mistakes and built up her strength.

Before her move to Holland, she had been a part time athlete with all the difficulties that entailed. Then she became a full time athlete surrounded by people who knew exactly what was required.

She had moved away from a country where the Government pays lip service to her sport and where there is not even an Olympic sized pool.

She was also living with Erik's family, people who understood what had to be done. There was amazing attention to detail, right down to the kind of bathing suit she was wearing.

Michelle and the people around her had discovered that the material in the special bathing suit has less resistance to water than flesh, and that is why they chose it.

Michelle's husband and the Belgian coach who worked with him had developed her legs by weight training to compensate for her lack of height. There was a total change in training, lifestyle and attitude.

Steroids, of course, can be used to build up muscle but in Michelle's case there is no evidence to support the groundless allegations levelled against her. If she had been using such drugs it would be fairly obvious. Athletes who resort to these measures quickly become unrecognisable.

INDEED, I have encountered some foreign athletes whose body shape has been transformed so radically that they become almost different people.

Michelle has not changed. She is still the same girl that I knew, well muscled and strong but not someone who has been abusing steroids.

I have a complete file full of measurements taken from Michelle over the years when I was her doctor. She has not changed that much her skin still looks remarkably well. It would not if she had been involved in taking drugs.

In any case, Michelle is far too intelligent to become involved in drugs because she knows the dangers entailed.

The fact that her husband had once been accused of drug taking only to be later cleared is obviously difficult for Michelle and helps to explain, if not to excuse, the loaded questions from the Americans.

Michelle Smith was always one of the best swimmers Ireland ever produced. She had a cool head and a natural ability to swim well. It was evident from the first time I saw her.

There were others who could have been contenders but they did not do what Michelle has done. They did not go abroad and get the best and most expert attention.

Michelle Smith has also proved one very important point. Irish swimmers are capable of winning medals if they get the proper facilities and coaching and if they have the same single minded dedication that is the hallmark of Michelle Smith.