EIGHT lucky swimmers will be picked at the end of the Hong Kong leg of the Epson World Cup to represent the territory in the remaining six European legs of the championship.
This is the carrot the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association is dangling before the 19-member squad who will take part in this year's World Cup on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Kowloon Park Indoor Pool.
Last year, when Hong Kong hosted the first leg of the World Cup, the territory broke 13 national records.
Do not expect this to happen again, the event coming so soon after the rigours of the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Leading local swimmer, Robyn Lamsam, admits that it will be hard to set national records - the territory's realistic goal when competing against the best swimmers from Germany, Sweden, Britain, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Finland, Slovenia, New Zealand, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, Macau and Vietnam.
'Maybe miracles might happen. But it would be unrealistic to expect new records in this event,' said Lamsam, who won silver and bronze at Hiroshima.
