A group of British officials and volunteers have been playing their part at the 12th FINA World Championships in Melbourne.

Four officials and two volunteers from the UK have been rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s top athletes in swimming, diving, open water swimming and synchronised swimming over the last two weeks at the second largest competition in world aquatics.

Swimming official Susan Harrison of Slough and Eton Dolphins is currently in action at the Rod Laver Arena. Harrison is a registered time-keeper, referee and judge and has a wealth of experience behind her, including stints at the European Short Course Championships and European Junior Swimming Championships in the last year alone.

For synchronised swimming, officiating supremo Jenny Gray accompanied the British team and took up the position of judge in Melbourne. A member of Reading Royals Synchronised Swimming Club for over twenty years, Gray has previously officiated at the 2002 FINA World Championships and was a judge at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. She is also a registered examiner, judge and referee.

Les Debenham (Heron Childrens Swimming Club) and Bill Clark (Southend on Sea Swimming Club) complete the quartet after being called up as officials for Open Water and Diving.

As well as the officials, two British Swimming volunteers have made the journey to Melbourne to gain valuable major event experience ahead of the 2008 World Short Course Championships and London 2012. Kim Saunders of Harrogate and Andrew Marvin (Derby) will be working poolside during the swimming events.

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For more information contact ASA Media Assistant Gemma Field on 01509 632262, 07917 726431 or email gemma.field@swimming.org

The Amateur Swimming Association is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,600 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

The Kellogg’s ASA Awards Scheme is the most successful awards scheme in British sport and issues around two million awards every year to swimmers all around the world.

For more information about ASA Awards please see www.swimming.org