New Zealand's top swimmers are expecting a reality check at the Pan Pacific Championships in Canada this month.
The meeting includes world powers in the sport, the United States and Australia at full strength, and will offer an important international race opportunity for the New Zealand squad.
It will also
provide a test ahead of the world championships in Melbourne next March, although several top swimmers have just returned to competition after a break.
Coach Jan Cameron is not expecting breakthrough performances but will be chasing strong efforts from her squad members.
"The Panpacs are a key part of our programme. Without them we would not have any true international competition for a year up to the world championships, which would make that jump too great," she said.
"But this year the meet falls at a time that's not ideal for us. Many of our swimmers have had breaks after Melbourne [Commonwealth Games in March]. They really needed this to freshen up as it will be their only real break before the Beijing Olympics.
"Our programme is aimed at peak performances for the world championships and Commonwealth and Olympic Games."
Cameron is pleased with the progress of butterfly swimmer Corney Swanepoel, who appears to be back on track after missing the medals at the Games.
Liz Coster, a 2005 world championship finalist who also missed out on medals in Melbourne, has been concentrating on backstroke.
Melbourne medallist Hannah McLean and Helen Norfolk have been based in Europe while backstroke medallist Cameron Gibson has moved to England to concentrate as a freestyle sprinter.
Other Melbourne medallists, Moss Burmester and Dean Kent, have also had layoffs.
Kent, 27, and Atlanta Olympian Alison Fitch have both committed to pushing on toward the Beijing Olympics.
The team fly to Canada on Saturday for a week's camp before the competition starts on August 17.
NEW ZEALAND TEAM
Andrew McMillan (Neptune, Dunedin), Ben Pickersgill-Brown, Annabelle Carey (Aquagym, Christchurch), Brynn Murphy (Waves, Dunedin), Cameron Gibson, Corney Swanepoel, Dean Kent, Glenn Snyders, John Zulch, Moss Burmester, Robert Voss, Alison Fitch, Elizabeth Coster, Hannah McLean, Helen Norfolk, Melissa Ingram (North Shore), Michael Jack, Lauren Boyle (West Auckland Aquatics).
- NZPA
