Another flop for Perkins at Olympic trials

Swimming

Kieren Perkins, the world record holder, failed to qualify for the 400 metres freestyle at this year's Atlanta Olympic Games after finishing third at the Australian trials in Sydney yesterday.

Perkins, who set the 400m world mark of 3min 43.80sec at the 1994 World Championships in Rome, was beaten by the Pan Pacific champion, Daniel Kowalski, with Malcolm Allen second. Kowalski won in 3:50.60 with Allen second in 3:51.60. Perkins' time was 3:52.56.

Perkins, silver medallist in the 400m at Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and also holder of the world records at 800 and 1,500m, failed in a bid to win an Olympic place in the 200m event at the weekend. He has a last chance to qualify for Atlanta in the 1,500m on Sunday.

''The last five or six years of competition I've pretty much been in control of the situation. This time I'm not and it's pretty scary," Perkins said.