USA v Europe-ish: President of French swimming, Francis Luyce, is reported in Gazzetta dello Sport as saying that the combined forces of France, Britain and Russia will take on the USA at a "dual" meet in the third week in December, immediately after what may be the last European s/c championships held in that month. Italy, the paper notes, is not invited. Talks between LEN, the European governing body, and USA Swimming over what would be a far more interesting meet - USA v the best of the whole of Europe, have been on and off for several years now. The December date will doubtless anger some in LEN: FINA has just moved its world s/c titles to a permanent December home, a move that will force Europe to look at shifting its annual winter s/c showcase event. Just as one lot of clutter is cleared, another one appears on the horizon. No news yet, then, of any real progress in getting a real USA v Europe off the blocks. The USA already has a big dual meet, against Australia, a nation that punches well above its weight in the water given its population  figure of just over 21 million. And talking of Australia...

Sydney: Nicole Jeffery reports in The Australian that the "notorious" Nick D'Arcy - he who got dumped from the Aussie Olympic team for Beijing last year and subsequently admitted to smashing up the face of Simon Cowley, former swimmer and Dolphin, in a brawl last year - will race at NSW titles next week. The Queensland medical student pleaded guilty to the assault in November and faces sentencing in Sydney on February 20. That will decide whether D'Arcy will be available for the Aussie trials for Rome next month. If he is, the 200m free and butterfly will be his main targets.

France: Under the guidance of technical director Christian Donzé, new head coach to France, Lionel Horter, will lead a "college of national coaches" from March 17. The college includes Denis Auguin, Frédéric Barale, Romain Barnier, Richard Martinez, Christos Paparrodopoulos, Fabrice Pellerin and Frédéric Vergnoux.