Most of Europe's fastest long distance swimmers will be competing in the Scarborough North Bay on Saturday and Sunday when the European open water super cup final is staged there over five and ten km courses, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

London's Paula Wood is lying second overall behind Hanna Miluska (Switzerland) among the 37 competitors who have made it through from the four qualifying rounds in Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

The finishing positions in the 10km on Saturday will decide the starting order and how far they start behind the winner for Sunday's 5km with the first home being the champion.

These events are being held as part of the North East Counties ASA's centenary celebrations and on Sunday a 5km NE Counties Centenary Challenge race will also be swum. The entry includes seven members of the Scarborough club.

The success of Kevin Renshaw, the Chester-le-Street club's chief coach with outstanding junior international Stephanie Proud and Tara Johnson, has been recognised with his selection as a coach to the British team to compete in the annual three nations junior international contest against Italy and Germany in Italy on December 16-17.

Stephanie is too young for this fixture, but it is highly likely that Tara, winner of two national age group titles, girls 15yrs 400m and 800m freestyle, will be in the team along with Wear Valley's Chris Wilson, also a double national age group champion in the boys 16yrs 100m and 200m breaststroke.

Another possible selection is Joanne Jackson (Richmond) who was runner-up in the national 15yrs 200m butterfly. She is the sister of Nicola, a member of the British World title and record-breaking 4x200m freestyle team who moves to Bath University next week to start training at the national centre of excellence which is based there.

Newcastle's Chris Cook had the worst possible start to the World Student Games in Beijing when he got food poisoning just before his first race, the 200m breaststroke, but despite this he still swam but was well below his best. He had still not recovered for the 50m but showed great guts by battling on.

Chris then finished 11th in the heats of the 100m with a 63.81secs to qualify for the semi-final in which he was equal fourth in 62.85secs to reach the final in which he finished fifth in a personal best time of 62.60, a Northumberland and Durham record.

Entries close on September 11 for the 18th annual Darlington meet to be staged at the Dolphin Centre on October 6-7. It is one of the biggest open events held in the North-East attracting many top swimmers including internationals and national champions.