Nocher: I'm not a morning person

Melaine Nocher was in upbeat mood this morning despite failing to qualify from her Women's 100m backstroke heat in the Olympics.

Her time of 1:02.44 was not among the best 16 overall, but the

The Holywood swimmer confessed that she is not at her best in the mornings, however.

"It's not far off my best, only point-five off my best, so you've to be positive in these things, you know," she said.

"I've never went under 1:02 in the morning, so that's probably one of my quickest swims ever in the morning and I know I'm capable of going faster than that.

The 24-year-old is now looking forward to her next event, the 200m backstroke.

"At the same time, it's a big event, I do have a lot of experience, I went really really quick in the warm-up so really just to get used to the pool," she said.

"This is just a warm-up really for the 200.

"Obviously I would have hoped for a little bit quicker but I'm not disappointed with it.

"I think it's hard having your main event first in a major championships like this.

"It's always nice to get one out of the way and just get rid of any pre-race nerves, that's all this really was for me, it was just a chance to get in and just get racing and just get back into the feel of racing and get used to the warm-up and the protocol of lining up and everything like that."

"It felt good, it was a bit weird really. I wasn't nervous, I was just excited really."

Fellow Irish swimmer Sycerika McMahon was too upset to talk to reoprters in the mixzone after failing to qualify from her 100m breaststroke heat.