HUGH O'CONNOR of New Ross made up for his disqualification in Thursday's 200 metres backstroke when he broke his own junior 50m backstroke record at the national championships in the Guinness Pool, Dublin, yesterday.

O'Connor, who has made the event his own at junior level, with records at 50m, 100m and 200m disciplines, clocked 26.39 in the qualifying session which was not far off the senior record set by his brother Adrian at Sheffield in 1994.

Another to capitalise on the absence of our Olympic swimmers in Atlanta was 13 year old Cork based Leonora Kelleher. She cruised to victory in the 200m butterfly but was pressed all the way by Niamh Cawley in the 50m backstroke.