"Everyone who comes to the Olympic Games has trained hard, but I also think that I train smart." - Michelle de Bruin, Atlanta, July 1996.

"It has been a topic of conversation on the pool deck. I have heard that question posed in the last few weeks about that particular swimmer." - US swimmer Janet Evans, July 1996.

"If she is drug free, she's the most amazing athlete since Kristin Otto." - Australian swimmer Elli Overton on de Bruin.

"She is the toughest trainer I ever worked with." - American coach Pierre La Fontaine who coached de Bruin in 1988 and 1990.

She is definitely bigger than she was but at the same time, if you look at pictures of me from the time I left South Africa to the end of my career I probably gained 30-40 lbs. from heavy weightlifting." - Houston University team-mate Helena Finley, July 1996.

I wish they could pull out a picture of her five years ago because no one would recognise her. I can't imagine how she has gained the muscle mass she has and still swims the 100,000 metres a week she is supposedly swimming." - Former Irish national coach Peter Banks, July 1996.

"I have a good memory and I think I would remember somebody I swam against in conference and dual meets. It's a little peculiar, but who am I to say?" - Former University of Texas swimmer and Olympian Whitney Hedgepath.

"It appears to be a case of two plus two plus two looking awfully like six. The circumstantial evidence is not decisive . . . but it is very strong." - Dr Phillip Whitten, editor Swimming World magazine.