Swimming coach Ben Smith said he was encouraged by Roy Allan-Burch’s performance in the men’s 100 metre freestyle at the Pan Am Games earlier this week.The Olympic swimmer failed to reach the 100 metres freestyle final. But if it was any consolation Burch still managed to post his second fastest time (52.87) of the season over that distance in a discipline he is still acclimatising to.“That was Roy’s second fastest time of the year and so he wasn’t shamed and for him that was a really good swim,” Smith said. “That being his second event and he’s still learning to swim it (100 metre freestyle) at that level he was happy with the swim and I’m happy with the way he was able to perform.”Current world record holder and champion Cesar Cielo of Brazil won Sunday’s final in a blistering time of 48.49 seconds to take the gold medal.With the 100 metres behind him, Burch will now turn his attention to competing in the 50 metres freestyle later in the week.“Roy’s main event is the 50 metres which he will be swimming on Thursday,” Smith added. “So his focus is on what he is going to be able to do there and seeing what these guys have achieved this time of year has actually motivated him to do what he thinks he might be able to do.”Also in action on Sunday was Kiera Aitken who had to settle for eighth in the women’s 100 metres backstroke ‘B’ final and 15th overall after covering the distance in a time of one minute, 5.63 seconds.“Kiera was a little disappointed because it was not her best performance,” Smith said.USA’s Elizabeth Pelton won the final in a time of one minute, 1.57 seconds.Aitken took the opportunity yesterday to work on her form in the pool in preparation for Saturday’s 50 metres event.“Kiera started training as if she wasn’t at a competition,” Smith said. “She’s focused on the preparation for what she’s going to be doing next.”Aitken is bidding to join compatriot Burch who has already qualified for next year’s Olympic Games in England, something Smith is confident she will eventually achieve.“Kiera knows that her aim is to get that qualifying time for the Olympics and she is really aiming for that to happen around March,” he said. “So this (Pan Am Games) gives her a gauge as to where she is and she will have plenty of opportunities to qualify for the Olympics.”Also competing in Mexico is Lisa Blackburn who was scheduled to compete in the women’s 100 metres breaststroke ‘B’ final last night.Blackburn won a silver medal competing for Canada at the 2003 Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic and earlier this year won two golds and a silver medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.Of Bermuda’s trio of swimmers in Mexico, Blackburn will be by far the busiest as she is also due to compete in today’s women’s 200 metres individual medley and Thursday’s 200 metres breaststroke.