Adrian O'Connor of New Ross and Colin Lowth (Cormorant) were both outside their best times as they opened Ireland's World Championship swimming campaign in Perth yesterday.Both swimmers were outside the top 40 in the heats for the 200 metres freestyle yesterday, an event for which there were 67 entries. O'Connor's time of one minute 58.4 seconds left him in 43rd position. Lowth, who came 45th, clocked 1:59.2.Acknowledging that neither swimmer specialises in the event, national coach Ger Doyle put the performances into perspective. "It was a wake-up swim for Adrian and Colin and very much a case of them getting used to the pool, just to get a swim. Their split times were consistent, no signs of any notable tiredness in the final 50 metres. We're happy enough and look to the prospect of good swims to come," he said.None of the Irish competitors will be in action today. Lowth competes in his specialist event, the 200 metres butterfly, tomorrow. Nick O'Hare will use the 100 metres freestyle tomorrow as his warm-up event for Saturday's 50 metres freestyle. Brothers Adrian and Hugh O'Connor will also go in tomorrow's 100 metres freestyle heats.