MICHELLE SMITH will compete on two of the three days of next week's Leisureland International meet in Salthill. She will not, however, be involved in the short course equivalent of any of her four medal winning events in Atlanta.

The 400 metres freestyle and individual medley, the 200 metres individual medley and the 200 metres butterfly will consequently be more open races.

National coach Ger Doyle is convinced that Smith will be looking for short course records over her two selected races, the 100 metres individual medley and the 200 metres freestyle.

A slight adjustment has been made to the order of events to facilitate coverage by RTE on Saturday March 1st and Sunday March 2nd. Smith was originally listed in the 200 metres freestyle for Friday February 28th, but the organisers have agreed to switch the event to the Sunday, with the 400 metres being brought forward to Friday.

Freestyle competitors are not likely to be inconvenienced by the switch for most of them, excluding Smith, will be going in both events anyway. Nor is the influence of television causing any concern among IASA officials who are anxious to acquire as much publicity as possible in the hope of enticing a major sponsor.

Gary Hall, the popular US Olympic double individual silver medallist and double relay gold medallist will compete over four events - the 50 and 100 metres freestyle and the 50 metres butter fly and 50 metres breaststroke.

The promoters are safe in saying that with a seating capacity of only 300 at Leisureland, the demand for tickets will exceed supply.

Of much broader interest is the likely composition of the National elite squad, better known as Team 2000. The proposed £25,000 sponsorship package for the squad was launched at the recent IASA annual general meeting.

Changes to the elite team are likely to be noted at the conclusion of the Leisnreland meet and it would appear that two Olympians - Earl McCarthy and Marion Madine - are in danger of losing their places, given that they have not been in competition since last September.

Should either one, or both swimmers, be dropped, their talents are such that the task of recovering their positions, before the European Championships in August, would not be seen as insurmountable.

Listed to take place before Leisureland is the Ballinasloe Gala at the same venue this Saturday and the Leinster graded meet at a Dublin venue also on Saturday and continuing on Sunday.