So, the European Championships are upon us once more. And this year they get underway (or not, for some) with news that the entire Canet team of Philippe Lucas, mentor to Laure Manaudou before she went off to pastures new, has been barred from racing in Eindhoven over the coming eight days because they did not attend a short, obligatory, training camp in Dunkirk recently.

Esther Baron will not then defend her 200m backstroke title, even though she is staying at a hotel here in the Dutch city a short walk around the block from the media hotel (as is Lucas). Nicolas Roustoucher, the 1,500m man, is also among those barred from competing as the French Federation and its technical director Claude Fauquet come down hard on anyone who does not answers the call of the national programme. It does not help, of course, that Fauquet and Lucas has never really seen eye to eye.

Baron's absence leaves the way clear for Manaudou, who will race 100m and 200m backstroke, the heats of the 800m (and, the final, according to the swimmer but not those guiding her from the deck).

An interesting week ahead - and a fascinating summer. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the French case, one thing is certain, when you face powers of the magnitude of the USA, the last thing you need is internal strife.

More fun and games tomorrow, when we'll look at who is actually competing and bring you news of the launch of Arena's 'revolution'.