Nocher and McMahon vie to join London party

Melanie Nocher and Sycericka McMahon will be amongst those bidding for Olympic qualification at the National Swimming Championships which begin today at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.

The pair aim to secure their spots at the London Games alongside Barry and Gráinne Murphy, who secured qualification last year.

However, organisers confirmed that Barry Murphy will not be in action in his native city this week. The Dubliner is remaining with his University Swimming Club in Michigan as it was feared that travelling would aggravate asthma problems. Meanwhile, Gráinne Murphy will compete only in the 200m freestyle before heading to the British trials, which will be running a full Olympic programme at the London 2012 venue.