Mark Foster the Commonwealth champion, appeals against his non inclusion in the 50m freestyle as the selectors stick rigidly to the selection policy and just twenty-seven swimmers will travel to next month's World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Foster has been selected for the 50m butterfly.

The selection policy stated that swimmers equalling or bettering the time recorded by the twelfth swimmer ranked in the world last year at one of four meets would gain selection.

Foster, the Olympic finalist failed to do so at any of the events but did so in a time trial immediately after the North Eastern Counties Championship in Sheffield, the second of the designated meets.

He claims "I was told by the Performance Director that my time at Sheffield was OK" adding "so I did not taper or rest for Glasgow". Over the weekend he failed by just 200ths to reach the standard required.

But Bill Sweetenham told me he does not agree with time trials "officials should not allow time trials" adding "time trials just do not count. Time trials are not accepted in any country for selection".

Foster's appeal is based on rule 1.4 which states selectors at their discretion, can add swimmers who have been selected into other events.

He claims "this is my lively hood. I am ranked second in the world and I'm guaranteed a medal of sorts". But his British record time of 22.13sec set in Sheffield, may currently rank him second in the world at present but it would have only ranked him ninth at the end of 2000.

Sweetenham says "Whilst I can feel sorry for him I also feel sorry for Karen Pickering and Gregor Tait who were so near and Gavin Brettell who also failed by just 200ths" adding "but Mark will do a hell of a job in the 50m butterfly."

British team for the World Championships

Men
Freestyle 
200m - Paul Palmer
400m - James Salter, Edward Sinclair
800m - Graeme Smith, Adam Faulkner
1500m - Graeme Smith

Backstroke
50m - Neil Willey

Breaststroke 
50m - James Gibson
100m - Darren Mew

Butterfly
50m - Mark Foster

Freestyle Relay
4 x 200m - Paul Palmer, Sinclair, Jamie Salter, Marc Spackman 


Women
Freestyle 
50m - Alison Sheppard, Rosalind Brett
200m - Nicola Jackson
800m - Rebecca Cooke
1500m - Rebecca Cooke, Nathalie Brown

Backstroke 
50 & 100m - Sarah Price
200m - Joanna Fargus, Katy Sexton

Breaststroke
50m - Zoe Baker

Butterfly 
50m - Alison Sheppard
200m - Georgina Lee

Freestyle Relays 
4 x 100m - Rosalind Brett, Karen Pickering, Alison Sheppard, Melanie Marshall 
4 x 200m - Karen Legg, Karen Pickering, Nicola Jackson, Janine Belton, Charlotte Dallas

Medley Relay
4 x 100m - Sarah Price, Jamie King, Georgina Lee, Rosalind Brett