OLYMPIC athletes live their lives on a four-year timescale, but it seems that sporting administrators do not.

When Newcastle swimmer Sue Rolph failed to make the 200m individual medley final at Sydney in 2000, she delivered a withering attack on sporting facilities in the North-East that sparked a fevered debate about how the region was letting down its leading stars.

"We have world-class coaches in the region," said Rolph at the time. "But no 50m pool between Leeds and Edinburgh.

"I know Newcastle Council hopes to build a 50m pool, but it isn't going to be there for four years if it's going to be there at all. I'm not holding my breath."

Just as well because, in the intervening four years, next to nothing has changed.

Chris Cook will be flying the flag for the North-East when the Olympic swimming competition gets under way in Athens later today, but it is safe to say that the Sunderland-born star has made it to the Games despite, rather than because of, the support he has received.

The region's promised 50m pool remains little more than a sketch on an architect's pad and debates over funding proposals continue to rage in council halls throughout the North-East.

British swimming's performance director, Bill Sweetenham, described the country's facilities as "third world" last month - in the North-East they barely even make that.

"We need additional help with investment in swimming pools and better facilities," admitted Cook, before leaving for the Greek capital. "I don't know how we are expected to compete with the rest of the world with what we have got.

"Think what we could do with better facilities and bigger and better pools."

Alan Capstick knows all about the need for better pools. As chairman of South Tyneside swimming club, he is in charge of the organisation that gave Cook his first break in the sport.

But, after watching his protg make waves at the national level, Capstick was forced to watch him defect to the City of Newcastle club as he could no longer guarantee him the pool time he needed to further his career.

The region's two biggest clubs - Newcastle and Sunderland - have shown themselves to be capable of developing international talent. But they are forced to do so in facilities that can kindly be described as somewhat less than world class.

"For someone like Chris its difficult to under-estimate how much the lack of a 50m pool actually means," said Capstick, who is also a member of various Amateur Swimming Association committees in the North-East.

"International swimming takes place in a 50m pool, it's as simple as that. It's like asking David Beckham to do all of his training on a five-a-side pitch.

"Chris is swimming four lengths when he should be swimming two and it's impossible to get any idea of timing when you're doing something like that.

"That means people like Chris are always going to be at a disadvantage on the world stage, but it also creates a farcical situation where a club like Gateshead and Whickham have to hire out Sheffield pool just to hold their own club events.

"The nearest 50m pools are Leeds, Sheffield and Edinburgh, and that's exactly the same position as it was four years ago when Sue made such a stir with her comments.

"There were all sorts of promises being made at the time but, while there have been a few rumblings and a bit of posturing, nothing has changed."

Not strictly true, but change the word nothing for the phrase precious little and Capstick's comments are irrefutable.

In the wake of Rolph's comments, Northumbria University submitted a bid for a 50m pool in central Newcastle, and Sunderland City Council submitted a bid for more than £6m of National Lottery cash to help build a £12m Olympic-size pool near the Stadium of Light.

Today, Newcastle's plans have been put on to the backburner despite four years of discussion, while Sunderland council is awaiting confirmation from Sport England that it has received the £4.7m it needs to proceed with its proposed development.

"The Sunderland plans have gone through the first stage of the funding system," said Judith Rasmussen, regional director of Sport England.

"We are now awaiting their final proposal before the funding will be in place.

"They have an action plan to complete and we expect them to come back to us in late autumn with final proposals of what they are planning to build.

"That will enable us to make an award which will probably account for a third of the full cost, with the other money coming from the council itself and various other funding partners.

"It can seem like a slow process, but this will be a massive development for the North-East and there are a lot of procedures that have to be followed in order for things to fall into place."

Meanwhile, another generation of Olympic swimmers struggle to tread water in the region's pools.

Sunderland's new 50m pool remains a realistic possibility, but it was seen as that four years ago and not a single brick has been laid since.

"Sue said she wouldn't be holding her breath four years ago," said Malcolm Dix, chairman of Sport Newcastle and a member of the Federation of Sport and Recreation in the North-East.

"I'm certainly not going to be holding mine now.

"We've asked the question time and time again but nothing seems to move forward.

"You could have built hundreds of pools with the money that it's taken to build Wembley - but that's sport in this country for you isn't it."