Marshall marshals troops

MEL MARSHALL trains for 25 hours and is swimming 70,000 metres per week as she targets next year's Olympic Games in Beijing. The British star was guest of honour at the Guernsey Swimming Club's annual presentation dinner on Saturday and the following day took GSC members for training.

'It was a fantastic weekend,' said the club's head coach, Jo Winberg.

'She had a lot to live up to after three males in three years but she did. She was very good.'

Marshall worked a lot on technique in two pool sessions which sandwiched a 90min. land session in which she concentrated on team-building exercises.

'It's always nice to see the stars in real life and swimming in your pool,' said Winberg.

At the GSC annual dinner, Marshall handed over the Portsmouth Northsea Trophy for achievement to national silver medallist Matt Butt.

Other top awards went to Roger Allsopp, who won the Bill Green Trophy for the most meritorious swim, the Joan Wilkinson Trophy for dedication to Graham Dawe and the Lang Trophy for sportsmanship to Elisha Benstead.