Susan Rolph winner of the 50 and 100m freestyle at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, will miss this year's World Championships in Japan.

The twenty three-year-old who in 1999 became Britain's first female swimmer to win a Europeab crown for thirty seven years, will compete in next week's British championships in Manchester, and then will under go an operation on her back.

Her specialist expects her to resume gentle swimming after three weeks rest and be fully fit by August. Rolph admits "It is better now than next year" She went on to explain "My target is the Commonwealth Games in Manchester next year". Adding, "It just means I'm taking my summer break a little earlier"

Rolph who moved to Wales earlier this year and now trains under the guidance of former Olympic chief coach Dave Haller, in Cardiff, expects to racing fit again ready to compete in the British Short Course Championships in August which are also the trials for the European Short Course Championships.