SWIMMING: Ipswich Swimming Club's Karen Pickering and Zoe Cray have both been selected by the National Performance Director to represent Great Britain during the European series of the Swimming World Cup.

SWIMMING: Ipswich Swimming Club's Karen Pickering and Zoe Cray have both been selected by the National Performance Director to represent Great Britain during the European series of the Swimming World Cup.

The annual competition staged throughout the world is a great opportunity for swimmers to race against some of the world's best swimmers.

Pickering and Cray will compete in Paris on January 18 and 19, in Stockholm on January 22 and 23 and in Berlin on January 26 and 27.

The series of meets will provide both of them with excellent chances to race and swim fast in the lead up towards the Commonwealth Games trials in April.

Karen will be racing in the 50m 100m and 200m freestyle while Zoe competes in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events on this European tour and both Ipswich girls are very excited about the prospect of some early season racing.

Both girls swim among many other talented swimmers in the Ipswich Open Designated Meet held at Crown Pools on February 2 and 3. This is a highly prestigious event with swimmers coming from all over the country.

The Eastern Junior league kicks off its first round on Saturday, January 19. Ipswich will be taking their junior squad to King's Lynn, hoping to recapture their success of 1998 when they reached the finals held in Liverpool.

For some of the younger swimmers this will be their first time in real competition.