Europe: The Ligue européenne de natation (LEN), the European swim federation, has authorised the use of the "new" Omega starting blocks with track start panel at the back of the block, at the European s/c Championships in Istanbul from 10 to 13 of December. The blocks have been used in World Cup competition but plans to use them at the Olympic Games last year and world championships this year were abandoned on the basis that not enough swimmers had had a chance to test the block (no such thought was applied to suits these past two seasons, of course - get one at the tent and line up for your world champs race ... perfectly normal. Not).

USA: Dara Torres, supermom and 40-plus sprinter extraordinaire, will have left knee surgery on October 20 and willl be out of action for between 12 and 18 months. The 42-year-old winner of medals at five Olympic Games is, as yet, uncertain about making a comeback in time for London 2012. History tells us not to rule her out.

France: Olympic sprint champ Alain Bernard and Olympic breaststroke medallist Hugues Duboscq will be in hot waters on Sunday: they will play a lead role in a hostage crisis to be staged on Paris's Alexandre III bridge across the Seine. As a member of the GIGN (groupe d’intervention de la gendarmerie nationale - police intervention squad), Bernard will be among the heroes who swoop down on a bus full of hostages and scoop them up in a helicopter to safety. Shots (simulated) will be exchanged - all in the interests of demonstrating national security plans to the French public.