Newcastle European and Commonwealth champion Sue Rolph, a double winner in the 100m and 200m individual medley and shared the women's top points trophy at the British Winter National short course championships in Sheffield last weekend, is included in the 32-strong Great Britain team which is competing in the European short course championships which commenced in Valencia yesterday and ends on Sunday, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

At last year's championships in Lisbon, Sue won two silver and three bronze medals. Richmond's Nicola Jackson, who became the new 100m butterfly champion in Sheffield, was runner-up in the 50m, and fourth in the 200m freestyle also winning those three junior titles plus the junior 100m freestyle and was awarded ther top junior women's points trophy, decided to miss the trip to Valencia after a strenuous season which included the Olympic Games. Nicola returned from Lisbon last year with three bronze medals including one gained in the 50m butterfly, her first individual placing in a major international championships.

The team also includes Darren Wigg (Newcastle), third in the 400m individual medley last week, former Derwentside member Vicki Horner (Stockport) and Michael Cole (Edinburgh) the ex-York swimmer, third in the 100m individual medley in Sheffield.

The assistant team manager is Brenda Bland (Hartlepool), Ian Oliver (Newcastle) is one of the coaches and Alan Capstick (South Tyneside) is a starter. Sarah Whewell (Newcastle) runner-up to club mate Sue in last week's 100m individual medley, misses out on this trip.

Junior international waterpolo player Angie Winstanley-Smith (Sedgefield) makes her first appearance in the British junior swimming team this weekend. She is one of 23 swimmers who will compete against Germany and Italy in the annual three nations junior international contest which this year is in Hamburg.

Last year in Cambridge the British team, which finished second to Germany, included Angie's club mate Matthew Bowden, also a dual international waterpolo player and swimmer. This is a unique double for, due to the high standard required these days, it is a very long time since anyone has represented Britain in both these aquatic sports.