A NINE-YEAR-OLD Darwen girl has been eagerly awaiting today's launch of the 2004 Olympic Games after a dream meeting with the British swimming squad in Cyprus.

Keen swimmer Amy Orrell, of Knowlesly Road, was coming to the end of a two-week family holiday in Pathos, Cyprus, when she found out the national squad were staying nearby.

After inquiring about their whereabouts, Amy was invited to watch the squad training and was even asked to come back to swim with the team by national performance director Bill Sweetenham.

Mum Jackie, who works at Blackburn Library, said: "She was delighted. Amy trains six times a week and swims with Darwen Amateur Swimming Club and Blackburn Centurions. To meet the national squad and trainer Bill Sweetenham was a dream come true and equal to a football fan meeting David Beckham.

"It finished her holiday off nicely. Bill was really nice with her. He seemed to be very impressed with her swimming and he took our telephone number to arrange for Amy to visit the Amateur Swimming Association's headquarters in Loughborough after the Olympics.

"Amy got all their signatures and photographs, as well as a little badge."

Amy, a pupil at St Joseph's Primary School, has been swimming since the age of four and joined Darwen Amateur Swimming Club at the age of seven. Jackie added: "Although she is a very capable swimmer she doesn't have a lot of confidence so this has boosted her no end. They were all saying they should sign her up now.

"They obviously had a busy schedule so to take that time out for my daughter was brilliant."

Amy, who was on holiday with her parents and younger sister Grace, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Katie Sexton MBE who also she met at the poolside.

Katie won a gold medal for backstroke in last year's World Championships and won a gold medal for back stroke in the Commonwealth Games aged 16.