SWIMMING/DUTCH OPEN:SWIM IRELAND's stated aim of getting six Irish swimmers to the London Olympic Games is beginning to look like a distant dream as Melanie Nocher became the latest to fail to go under the Olympic qualifying standard, this time at the Dutch national championships at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Complex in Eindhoven.

Nocher finished in the bronze medal position in the final of the women’s 200 metres backstroke, her favourite event, but her time of 2 mins 12.02 seconds was 1.28 seconds shy of the A qualifying standard.

She started strongly and was right on course at the 150 metres turn, but faded badly over the final 50 metres.

The gold medal was won by Duane Da Roche Marce of Spain in 2:10.47, a new Dutch Nationals championship record, while second-placed Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands also dipped under the Olympic qualifying time in 2:10.52.

Gráinne Murphy, the European 1500 metres silver medallist, warmed up for her main event, the 800m Freestyle, which takes place today, by making the final of the women’s 200 IM.

Murphy made the decider with a fifth place ranking of 2:16.30 and also finished fifth in the final in 2:15.82. The teenager has shown little form, however, this season and had a poor world championships in Shanghai earlier this year and will find it tough to make the 800 freestyle time of 8.33.84 as her event is also heat-declared with only one swim in the event,

Sycerika McMahon, a double European junior champion, showed she is still making progress in the 100m breaststroke, where she set an Irish Junior Record in the heats (1:09.80) on her way to qualifying for the final. In the final she again lowered the junior mark in finishing in sixth place in 1:09.24.

Meanwhile, Andrew Bree and Fiona Doyle were in action in the US Winter Nationals, taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. Both Bree and Doyle competed in the heats of the 100m breaststroke, Bree finished in 1:03.68, while Doyle, who made the C final, recorded a time of 1:11.47.