Pierre Lafontaine, the man at the helm of Canadian Swimming put it very simply: 'Touch the wall first in Montreal in six weeks time and you've got a ticket to Beijing. We're about doing it on the day because that's exactly what we have to do at the Olympics.' He was describing to reporters at a Canadian press conference the nature of Olympic trials to be held in Montreal in the first week in April. Several nations around the world, including Germany and Britain, will also select their squads that month.

'Everything hinges on this one meet, but it's exactly the kind of atmosphere that will breed competitive Olympic swimmers,' said Lafontaine. 'It's going to create more racing and the Olympic Games is about racing. There will be some great times (at the Games) but the times are because of the racing and not vice versa.'

He announced that his team would have a little more steam in their engine courtesy of sponsorship from the Canadian National Railway Co for the meet at the Olympic Park Pool from April 1-6.

As to where Canada now stands in the ranking of nations, he told reporters: 'I think we're going to be really competitive, we're going to knock on the door. We're going to be in the races until the end and if we don't put our hand on the wall first, it's not because we weren't in the race. What I want is a bunch of athletes that are capable of winning on the day and if they're there, then they have a shot at winning. I do feel that the kids are feeling like they belong on the pool deck now. They don't shy away.'

Watch for fast times in Montreal. As ascending butterfly ace Audrey Lacroix, 24, put it: 'I want to (have) a really fast race because I know the girls I'll be racing against in Beijing will be watching. It's a lot of pressure to have this one chance to make the team, but that's the business we're in. When we're in the water, we do what we like to do and most of the time we do that very well.'