Local swimmers are competing in three major events, the World championships, European Youth Olympics and English National championships over the next few days, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

The World long course (50m pool) championships start tomorrow Fukuoka, Japan, Richmond's Nicola Jackson, 17, is one of the 27 swimmers in the British team. She races in the 200m freestyle for which she recently broke the British record with the third fastest time in the world this year and will be all out to gain her first individual medal at a world event.

Nicola is also in the very strong women's 4x200m freestyle relay team which could also secure a podium position. She was in the team which set a new record when winning the World short course (25m pool) title in Athens, last year. Her Derwentside club coach, David McNulty, is on the team staff and the assistant manager is Brenda Bland (Hartlepool).

Youngsters Stephanie Proud from Durham City and Chris Wilson from Crook, start out on their international careers as members of the British team at the European Youth Olympics which are held every two years and are being held in Murcia, Spain, on Monday.

Stephanie, a member of the Chester-le-Street club, who swims in the girls 13-14yrs 100m backstroke and medley team, is clocking exceptional times for someone who is not 13 until next month.

Chris, 16, who swims for the Wear Valley club, is the Scottish junior record holder and earlier this year was chosen for the Scottish national youth squad with whom he returned a few days ago from a week's training camp in Torromolenos, Spain. His events in Murcia are the boys 15-16yrs 200m breaststroke and the medley relay, which is a very strong one and is in with a chance of winning in record time.

The team consists of 15 swimmers, eight boys and seven girls, the manager is Ian Wilson, the former European 1500m freestyle silver medallist, Olympic finalist and World Student Games champion from Sunderland.

The English national long course championships started at Crystal Palace yesterday. This is a deliberate clash with the World championships to give the next tier down a chance to achieve some success and sense of achievement in the absence of Britain's world-class performers.

A number of competitors from this area are seeded with medal chances. Chris Cook (Newcastle) is in line for a hat-trick of silver medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke; three club mates are also well positioned, Julie Fort has the second fastest entry time in the 200m backstroke and third in the 400m individual medley; SarahWhewell has the second pole position in the 200m individual medley and Darren Wigg is in third place in the 400m individual medley.

Caroline Saxby (Durham Aquatics) is lying third in the 1500m freestyle. Harrogate's Thea Evanson (Loughborough University) is second quickest in the 400m individual medley and York's Robin Francis (Bath University), 400m individual medley, and Michael Cole (Edinburgh), 200m individual medley, are in the runners-up spot.