A RAY of light has emerged for Michelle Smith in her bid to compete in the 400 metres free style. After a day of meetings, dismissals, appeals and, finally, an admission by ACOG that "an error was made" in refusing to grant her permission to compete, it will be left to IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch to decide Smith's fate.

It appeared FINA - the powerbrokers in world swimming - had stone walled Irish attempts to reinstate Smith's plans when, firstly, its technical committee turned down a bid to have the Dubliner entered in Monday's event and, then, the FINA Bureau upheld that view.

However, the OCI president Pat Hickey made a final, desperate appeal to Samaranch and, with ACOG's subsequent admission of error, the Irish contingent were confident that Smith, who swam the fastest time in the world this year with a 4:08.64 in Florida on July 7th (two days after the official cut off date for times), would be allowed compete in the event.

"Michelle does not wish to make any comment on the matter until she knows what the outcome is," said her manager Kathy Stapleton. "However, she is in very good form."

Earlier, FINA Vice President Ross E. Wales, of the United States, remarked there was only a "slim" chance of Smith gaining entrance into the 400m free.

ACOG's later admission, however, that they had informed OCI secretary general Dermot Sherlock that Smith's request to take part was not in itself an additional entry and that the change could be made as late as today, put a different slant on the affair and it is felt Samaranch will make a decision today or, possibly, tomorrow. But the omens look good.