Commonwealth Games gold medallist Moss Burmester is struggling to "get up" for this week's world championship swimming trials in Auckland.
Burmester, who won the 200m butterfly and was third in the 100m butterfly in this year's Commonwealth Games, has failed to match that performance in the trials which
selectors see as a key step towards the 2008 Olympics.
Burmester has failed to qualify for the 100m butterfly and the 200m and 400m freestyle - events he was aiming for.
Last night, he swam 25.44s in the 50m butterfly, his non-specialist event, which sees him go through to tonight's final as the third fastest qualifier.
Burmester's specialist event, the 200m butterfly, is not until tomorrow giving the 25 year-old time to work on his form.
Although his training has been going well, the swimmer concedes he is struggling mentally.
"It [the meet] hasn't really got the hype of the Commonwealth Games so it is a bit hard to get up and race well here. It is the mental side of things a bit I guess."
If Burmester fails to meet the qualifying time in the 200m butterfly, he may still get to compete in the butterfly and freestyle events at next year's world championships.
He is likely to be named in the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay team which means it is at the selectors' discretion as to whether he can compete in other events.
While Burmester is struggling, his North Shore club mate, Corney Swanepoel, is showing signs he is getting back to his old form, coming close to qualifying for the 50m butterfly.
The 20-year-old's time of 24.16s was just outside the qualifying mark of 24.02s.
National record holder Alison Fitch touched just ahead of Helen Norfolk in a thrilling 100m freestyle final. But Fitch's time of 57.21s was outside the qualifying time of 55.44s.
Dean Kent won the men's 200m individual medley beating his brother, Steven, comfortably. However, his time of 2m 04.11s was outside the qualifying time of 2m 03.06s too
Three women's relay teams - a 4 x 100m freestyle, 4 x 200m freestyle and 4 x 100m medley - could qualify if the selectors chose to use Lauren Boyle's fastest time. Boyle has missed the meet through illness.
With just two days of the trials remaining, eight swimmers have qualified for the world championships in Melbourne in March.
