Robinson ends a poor week for Ireland

Swim Ireland's only realistic hope of progress for a semi-final berth this weekend at the World Championships in Barcelona faded as Portstewart's Emma Robinson bowed out at the preliminary stages of the 50m Breaststroke this morning.

The 24-year-old finished second last in a well loaded heat eight, with Australian Brett Hanson the eventual winner in 31.24, qualifying her second of the semi-final bound sixteen. Robinson swam 32.93 in lane 2, failing to match her entry time of 32.02 achieved at last August's Commonwealth Games, but giving her 21st place overall out of 58 starters.

The University of Bath student saw lane rival Elena Bogomazova of Russia touch for 31.99 to qualify, with Robinson's time leaving her four tenths away from the semi-finals.

There were improvements however in the women's freestyle heats with both Lee Kelleher and the higher-ranked Julie Douglas bettering their entry times yet failing to dip under 26 seconds, the qualifying mark.

Douglas, 23, managed to win her heat in 26.48, two hundredths faster than her 2002 form, for 31st place of 100 swimmers overall.

Cork's Lee Kelleher also swam her best time of the year - an improvement of 0.03 seconds on her entry time of 27.70, in finishing fifth in heat seven. Last year's European Long Course Championships saw the Sunday's Well swimmer clock 27.15, but she can be happy with her week's work as the 21-year-old will be seen on more World stages in the years to come.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, Barcelona:

50m Breaststroke Heat 8: (1) B Hanson (Aus) 31.24, (2) E Bogomazova (Rus) 31.99, (3) E Igelstrom (Swe) 32.11, (7) E Robinson (Bangor) (Irl) 32.93

50m Freestyle Heat 7: (1) AL Mopio (PNG) 27.21, (2) A Ozolina (Lat) 27.45, (3) L Komt (Per) 27.51, (5) L Kelleher (Sunday's Well) (Irl) 27.67

Heat 9: (1) J Douglas (Carrickfergus) (Irl) 26.48, (2) J NG Chi Kwon (Hkg) 26.69, (3) KY Kristjansdottir (Isl) 26.89