Swimming: Rignall swim brings Sydney poser

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

In a splash, New Zealand swimmer Vivienne Rignall could have knocked her friend Toni Jeffs out of the 2000 Olympics.

Germany-based Rignall has created a forbidding dilemma for the New Zealand swimming selectors after setting a scorching record time for the national 50m freestyle in England - and suddenly diving into Olympic consideration.

The New Zealand selectors huddled on a phone conference last night to determine whether Rignall should get the nod ahead of Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jeffs.

The outcome, certain to be contentious, will not be made public until at least next week.

Jeffs qualified two months ago for the Olympics in a time of 26.03s, beating Rignall in the national championships. But Rignall swam 25.92s - 0.11s faster - at a grand prix meeting in Sheffield on Sunday night.

Rignall's dash may have come too late. Against her is the fact that she set the time outside the qualifying period set by Swimming New Zealand, which ended 10 days ago.

But her record-breaking swim is likely to be seen as an exception to the rule.

New Zealand could send two swimmers for the Olympic 50m, but only if both have bettered the A time of 25.97s, set by the world swimming body, Fina.

Jeffs has a last chance to beat the mark at the Oceania championships in Christchurch next month.

But in the meantime, one of the duo has to be nominated to the New Zealand Olympic Committee by the end of the week. New Zealand coach Brett Naylor said yesterday that he could not comment.

Rignall, born in New Zealand but living in Germany, forged a strong friendship with Jeffs when the pair travelled to meetings together throughout Europe last summer.

The 26-year-old Rignall, a university student, was ecstatic after setting the record - the ninth-fastest 50m time in the world so far this year.

"I still can't believe that I did it. The feeling looking at the scoreboard after the race was just overwhelming," she said.

It was not the only record set in the race. Dutch swimmer Inge de Bruijn broke her third world record in three days - her 50m time a sizzling 24.51s.