John Leonard, the executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association, last night compared Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen’s winning performance in the women’s 400m individual medley to Irish swimmer Michelle Smith.

The Netherlands is in the same fiscal boat as the leading peripheral eurozone states it has criticised for missing budget targets, and it needs spending cuts and structural reforms to revive a slumping economy, state think-tank CPB said.

Gráinne Murphy came agonisingly close to breaking Michelle Smith de Bruin’s Irish record in the final of the women’s 200m freestyle on the opening day of the Carlton Irish National Swimming and Olympic Trials at the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) in Dublin yesterday.

Irish MEPs stepped up pressure on the European Commission today to explain why Brussels approved funding of more than €50m to help US computer giant Dell close its Limerick plant and move to Poland.

TEN days ago, Dolphin proudly boasted an unbeaten home record that stretched back nearly two years to March 2007, but that must seem like an age ago after Cork Constitution raided Musgrave Park for the second week in succession.

CONTROVERSIAL former swimming champion Michelle De Bruin, who won three gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics amid unproven allegations that she took drugs, has criticised Irish swimmers and Swim Ireland for not being properly prepared in Beijing.

OLYMPIC gold medallist Michelle de Bruin claimed yesterday she was dropped from the Late Late Show, because she refused to talk about her swimming ban shame.

IN response to AF MacGabhann (Irish Examiner letters, Sept 16), let me point out that I am not a Michelle de Bruin apologist.

THE husband of Olympic swimmer, Michelle de Bruin, yesterday pleaded guilty to stealing chicken breasts, vitamins and cod liver oil tablets at his local Dunnes Stores supermarket.

Chantal Gibney has smashed Michelle de Bruin’s 200m freestyle Irish record at the Irish Open Championships in Lisburn, Co Antrim.

Slobodan Milosevic’s wife will arrive in the Netherlands on Thursday to visit the former Yugoslav president at the UN prison where he is being held.