Now it's a question of whether or not Lisa Blackburn will stay.

Following one of the most dominating performances in the annals of local swimming, the wheels have been put in motion to have the Bermuda-born Canadian represent the Island in upcoming international competition.

Blackburn, who set or re-set a total of 11 national records in three days last week, has registered with the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association and will likely notify Canadian officials of her intent upon her return home next week.

The next move belongs to the sport's world governing body.

"Obviously, what we want to do is clarify her position with FINA,'' said BASA president Jim Ferguson yesterday.

While it is not uncommon for an athlete to represent more than one country -- Blackburn swam for Canada in an under-23 meet in Sweden and was funded by Swim Canada in her development -- "We just want to dot all the i's and cross all the t's to make sure we cover ourselves,'' Ferguson said.

Born in Bermuda, Blackburn, now 25, left with her family in 1976. Her father, Ian, returned but Lisa remained and recently graduated from the University of Ottawa. She has visited almost every year but last swam competitively here in 1991.

"Certainly, there's no question (of her eligibility) from our standpoint,'' said Ferguson.

As for Blackburn, she just wants to swim -- which is something she couldn't say three years ago.

Her times no longer getting faster and the training sessions no longer fun, she abruptly quit in 1994. In the two years that followed, she took up coaching and triathlon -- and jumped in the pool "maybe six times.'' Then a funny thing happened.

"I really missed swimming,'' said Blackburn.

"I decided I still had something left in the tank and I wanted to see what I could do.'' That was in September, 1996. Less than a year later, she picked up fourth and sixth-place finishes at the Canadian National Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. And less than a week after that, she returned to put her own personal stamp in the record book.

"It was a bit of a surprise,'' she said. "I was hoping to swim well but in terms of records and things like that, that was just a bonus.'' Some bonus. In Wednesday's heats, she broke three national marks and set another on Thursday. In Saturday's finals, she won all six of her events, broke two all-comers records and five more national standards -- three of which she had just set.

"It comes down to the love of the sport,'' she said. "I'm having a good time doing it now. You have to love what you're doing, you have to have fun and you have to work hard.'' Sunday's marks came in: 100-metre breaststroke (one minute, 11.26 seconds). The all-comers record of 1:11.52 was set by visiting Canadian Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist Lisa Flood in 1992. The national record of 1:12:48 was set by Blackburn on Wednesday night.

200m individual medley (2:23:26). That bettered the previous mark set by Bermuda Olympian Jenny Smatt (2:23:33) in 1992.

50m freestyle (27.33). Blackburn set the national record on Thursday with a time of 27:35.

100m freestyle (58.51). The all-comers record was set by Florida's Paige Kearns this past June at the national championships with a time of 59.54; Blackburn established the national record on Wednesday with a time of 59.56.

100m backstroke (1:07.58). The national record, held by Tiffany Gosling, was 1:10.28 and set in 1992.

Short-course swimming in BASA's 25-metre pool presented no difficulty and neither did the open air ("More oxygen and not as much chlorine,'' she laughed). There was also no pressure, although that could change if she's accepted onto the national team.

Ferguson said BASA officials would meet over the next two months to determine whether to send a team to Perth, Australia, for the World Championships in January. Bermuda are already committed to the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia next year and, perhaps, the CAC Games a month earlier.

Blackburn may also feel resentment from some Bermudians.

Said Ferguson: "No-one's said anything to me face-to-face but I think there are probably some people like that.'' For the record, BASA are "thrilled'' and "excited'' that a swimmer of Blackburn's calibre could be joining the programme, Ferguson said. Her presence is good for Bermuda swimmers and he likens Blackburn to Brian Wellman, who became one of the world's best triple jumpers only after leaving the Island and attending the University of Arkansas.

Photos by Tony Cordeiro WATERMARKS -- Lisa Blackburn returned to Bermuda last week and promptly set a total of 11 records, including one in the 200-metre individual medley (below).