swimmers were testing the water in Kuala Lumpur's spanking new aquatics centre in Bukit Jalil at the beginning of what might be the Island's busiest ever international sporting weekend.

Also seeing action today and tomorrow are the gymnasts, squash players, tenpin bowlers and shooters.

In fact, the only two members of Bermuda's 25-strong contingent who don't get in on the act are middle distance runner Terrance Armstrong and high jumper Ronan Kane who must wait another week.

For swimmers Stephen Troake, Matthew Hammond and Trevor Ferguson, their first Games test threatens to be short and sweet, with none expected to advance from their respective 200m heats.

Only Hammond, with a best time of 1:59.49, has broken the two minute barrier but there are at least seven in the field who have dipped below 1:50 and several with PBs of 1:55.

However, lone female Alicia Mullan will advance to the evening finals no matter what. With just 15 competitors entered in the 400 metres individual medley, the eight fastest in the heats will take their place in the main final and the rest in the consolation.

Mullan is by no means the slowest with a PB of 5:14.95 but it doesn't match the times posted by the Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and English who are expected to dominate the final.

Bermuda's top swimmer Stephen Fahy could equal Mullan by advancing to at least the consolation final in Sunday's 100 metres butterfly, although coach Gareth Davies agrees in order to do so he will need to smash his own national record of 57.2.

Fahy's best hopes still lie in next week's 200m individual medley, although like Troake and Hammond he'll also appear in the 50 and 100 freestyle as well as the 4x100 freestyle relay.

At the nearby Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, the Island's young gymnasts face what will undoubtedly be the toughest competition of their young careers when they step out tomorrow against nine other nations.

Coach Walid Mustafa concedes he will be elated if the team of Laura Murphy, Leila Wadson, Jenny Wright and Christina White finish any higher than tenth.

But from what he's seen in practice this week he believes they could place as high as sixth.

"If they hit every vault, every jump, it could happen,'' says Mustafa. "But we're up against some very talented gymnasts.'' In order to qualify for Monday's Individual All Round event, Bermuda's four girls need to finish among the top 24 individually during tomorrow's team event. And should they place in the top eight in any of the four disciplines, they will advance to Wednesday's Individual Apparatus finals.

However, Mustafa is realistic. "It's asking an awful lot,'' he adds.

Also making their debut tomorrow are tenpin bowlers June Pitt, Dianne (Bobbie) Ingham, Conrad Lister and Antoine Jones as the sport celebrates its Games admission.

Pitt and Ingham compete in the women's doubles and Lister and Jones in the men's doubles, all at the Sunway Pyramid lanes some 15 minutes drive from the Games Village.

Today, squash players Tommy Sherratt and Nick Kyme hope to earn some consolation from their respective defeats in the first round of the main competition when they step out for the Plate event, although at press time their opponents were still unknown.

And on the island of Langkawi, where Bermuda's shooters returned after yesterday's opening ceremony, Sinclair Raynor and Walter Trott will compete in the Fullbore Rifle, Raynor having already placed 31st in a field of 44 during Thursday's badge match.

Games Notebook, Page 17