Spirit of Eric 'the Eel' lives on in Beijing

(BEIJING, August 6) -- Eight years after Eric 'the Eel' Moussambant (GEQ) spluttered his way into swimming folklore at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, a new crop of hopefuls is set to grace the National Aquatics Center in Beijing.

Moussambant finished the 100m Freestyle in 1 minute 52.72 seconds and, stunningly, won his heat when the two other entrants were disqualified.

That time should be beaten by the swimmers from Botswana, Malawi and Federal Democratic Republic Of Nepal, invited to compete under the wildcard draw designed to encourage developing nations.

They will be aided by the fact the wildcard event is now the 50m Freestyle, not the 100m, and that the Water Cube is indoors.

"Our pools are all outdoor pools. They are 25 meters and not heated," said Malawi coach Yona Walest.

"This was a challenge for our swimmers. They experienced cramps, headaches and training pressure, but they tried hard to cope."

Botswana is just happy to be here.

"This is the first time Botswana has ever competed in the Swimming (at the Olympic Games)," said coach Alison La Grange (BOT).

"In Botswana, swimming is very new. This is huge for us."

"We feel like we've snuck in. We keep saying, 'We're here, we're here'. It's just a privilege to be part of something like this."

Prasiddha Shah, half of Federal Democratic Republic Of Nepal's two-person swim team, is hoping to improve his personal best time of 26.39sec.

"All the guys that are going to win medals, I'll be watching them and learning some new tricks," said Shah.

Burkina Faso, Azerbaijan and Rwanda have also received wildcard entries.

Malawi's Charlton Nyirenda was disappointed by the absence of his swimming idol.

"I was hoping to meet Ian Thorpe (AUS) because he's my hero," Nyirenda said. "But I don't think he's coming anymore."