the 200 metres Individual Medley as he began Bermuda's Olympic campaign in the Sydney Aquatic Centre today.

Inexplicably failing to produce the kind of times he had been clocking during a rigorous build-up to these Games, Fahy finished more than two seconds outside of his own national record, slower even than the qualifying time which he posted at the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg a year ago.

Barely able to speak after seeing his time -- two minutes, 7.92 seconds -- flash up on the gigantic electronic clock, the 22-year-old Yale student appeared devastated. "I can't talk...I just don't know, I'm sorry,'' he said.

Fahy had got off to a flying start in lane one of the third of seven heats.

His opening butterfly leg of 26.98 seconds saw him turn after 50 metres in joint first place and after he completed another 50 metres of backstroke in 31.84 for a combined time of 58.82 he was still in second.

At 150 metres after the breaststroke (37.58) he turned in 1:36.40 but then quickly ran out of steam on the final freestyle leg (31.52), trailing home fifth in 2:07.92.

The heat was won by Trinidad's George Bovell in 2:04.68, more than a second too slow to earn a semi-final place.

Of the 56 competitors in the Medley, Fahy ranked 41st, a long way short of expectations following a year of intensive training under ex-US coach Frank Keefe. He now gets a second bite at the cherry in tomorrow morning's 100 metre butterfly heats.

SWIMMING SW