YORK swimmer Caroline Foot's Olympic dream ended in disappointment last night, writes Peter Martini.

The 35-year-old finished fourth in the 100m butterfly final at the ASA National Championships in Sheffield, missing out on an Olympic slot by seven tenths of a second.

These championships were doubling up as the British trials for the Sydney Games, with Foot gunning for a third Olympic appearance, her first two having come at Seoul '88 and, as women's team captain, in Atlanta '96.

However, it wasn't to be. "I'm disappointed with the result and disappointed there were three girls in front of me," she told the Evening Press today.

"But it was a fierce race and the times the girls did were very respectable."

Foot (pictured right) was not too downhearted at her own showing. "I swam a personal best in the semi-finals and although I swam a bit slower in the final, it was still faster than my old personal best time," she said.

Only winner Margaretha Pedder, of Portsmouth, made the team bound for Sydney, clocking a qualifying time of 60.74, a personal best.

Second-placed Georgina Lee, from Birmingham, failed to record the requisite qualifying time for a runner-up, despite another lifetime best. Foot added: "That just goes to show how tough the qualifying times were."

Foot - who was also fourth in the heats and semis - hit the half-way mark in the final in second, but a slower second 50 metres saw her finish in 61.45secs. In her personal best of 61.32 set in the semis the previous day, Foot had, conversely, hit the turn last.

Richmond teenager Nicola Jackson also missed out on the Olympic spot, despite going into the final as the fastest from the preliminary rounds with a heats time of 61.0secs. She finished third in 61.21.

Foot, meanwhile, admitted this was probably her last chance of reaching another Olympics. Already the elder stateswoman among the competitors, Foot will be 39 come the Athens Games.

Before deciding her long-term future, however, the former York City Baths Club star, now swimming for Kingston Upon Hull, will now go for national championships gold in the 50m butterfly.

She is ranked number one in Britain at this distance, but it is not an Olympic event. "My aim is to beat my own British record and I'm confident of doing that," she added.