Australia and some in Europe set a blistering pace at Olympic trials and the continental championships over the past two weeks, one that several nations will wish to follow over the coming week of intense activity that kicks off today with the first finals at the Chinese Olympic trials and the first heats of the trials, in Britain, where morning finals are being staged from tomorrow.

Hot on the heels of all that are trials in South Africa, Canada, Poland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. In the midst of all that, we will get a much better impression of where events Down Under and in Eindhoven fit in these extraordinary days in the pool that have seen sprinters - men and women - cap[able of lopping half a second off their best times of a year ago to race into uncharted waters with world records that drew gasps from around the world of swimming.

Will China follow the path of speed? The pariah of the 1990s, the Olympic host nation has had a poor build-up to Beijing 2008 in terms of the success levels - medals and finalists - at major events over the past five years, a record that stands in stark contrast to the gradual rise of Australia over 20 years and more that had led to its current strength. There is no sign, internationally, of a breakthrough from China but domestically - and their trials are a domestic event - there have been plenty of noteworthy moments.

The programme in China today, as far as I can tell (and it's not easy): Women: 200m freestyle; 200m backstroke; 100m butterfly, 4x100m medley; Men: 200m freestyle; 200m backstroke; 400m medley.

Luo Xuejuan, China's only champion in 2004, is gone, Qi Hui remains and Wu Peng has been responsible for the strongest show among men. But watch for a class of 14-year-olds led by the likes of You Meihong, on 4:07.80 400m freestyle last October, and Li Xuanxu, on a 4:36.56 in the 400m medley at the same City Games last year.

Each nation has different selection policies and some - not China, which has the greatest reason to object to the IOC and NBC's move to favour their wallet and US audiences while the host nation toils in its workshops just as events unfold at the Watercube - have chosen to swim morning finals.

In Britain, the selection policy dictates that standard times must be set in heats before a one-two placing in the final secures a ticket to China. Swim slow in heats and set a world record in finals and the swimmer concerned will not be going to Beijing, under the letter of the law, at least.

The coming week will tell us much more about how much of the gains made by the likes of Sullivan, Rice, Lenton-Trickett and Bernard, can be put down to the Speedo LZR. On a day when Arena has taken out two full page adverts in L'Equipe to advertise its Powerskin R-Evolution, Adidas enters the fray with a launch here in Sheffield.

Hold on tight.