KEY POINTS:
Think New Zealand swimming at Beijing and Moss Burmester is the first name which springs to mind.
Certainly the world's No 7-ranked 200m butterfly exponent looms as New Zealand's best medal prospect in the pool.
But when the swimming programme begins tonight in the water cube in the
heart of the Olympic sports complex, keep an eye on young breaststroker Glenn Snyders.
Snyders will be the second New Zealand swimmer in action, after Helen Norfolk kicks off with the 400m individual medley.
Burmester, rightly, is considered a strong medal chance, but Snyders has made significant strides in the past couple of years. He made the 11th fastest time this year. But with precious little between a handful of contenders, Snyders can make the A final.
He holds all three national records _ 50m (27.98s), 100m (1min 00.50s) and 200m (2:13.05) _ which he set at the Olympic trials in Waitakere in March.
To give an idea of the tightness of the leaders, the five fastest in the world this year have all gone under 1min.
They are headed by world champion American Brendan Hansen, with 59.24s, followed by Athens double gold medallist Kosuke Kitajima of Japan on 59.44s and Norwegian Alexander Dale Oen, a further .34s back.
"The time I did at the trials definitely boosted my confidence," Snyders said of the 100m. "If I can go a personal best in the heats, then again in the semifinals, I think I'm looking at a certain final."
He talks with a quiet certainty about his capabilities, but acknowledges the need to be aware of surprises.
"It all comes down to how people feel on the day and what other people do. It could be some people ranked behind me step up and do a huge personal best and knock me out. Or people in front of me have a bad day and get knocked out. But I've shown I can be up there with the world champions."
Snyders, 21, has come a long way from his birthplace, Klerksdorp in the North West province of South Africa, close to Potchefstroom, birthplace of fellow swimmer Corney Swanepoel.
His parents moved to England when Snyders was a couple of months old. In August 1999 the family upped sticks and came to Auckland.
His parents, Barry and Sue, were originally from Zimbabwe and while work took the family to Britain, lifestyle had a strong say in the hop across the globe to the North Shore.
A Bachelor of Sport and Recreation degree is on hold. Snyders has more pressing matters, starting tonight.
Breaststroke is swimming's least-appealing stroke, but it has long been Snyders first choice, partly because he did it better than the rest.
"When I was younger I used to swim medleys. But since about 15 or 16 I've just focused more on the breaststroke. I think people find the actual movements of the stroke hard."
His training has set him up nicely.
"I've been doing some really good times in training. I feel good, healthy and fit."
So he's perfectly primed to give himself the best chance of making the semifinals tomorrow and from there the final beckons. Once there, anything is possible.
SWIM STAR
* Glenn Snyders will swim the 100m and 200m breaststroke in Beijing.
* He is ranked No11 this year in his better event, the 100m.
* His heat will be early today, from 12.45am, with the semifinals tomorrow at 2.58pm. The final is on Monday at 2.27pm.
