Nelson Lindsay can expect his latest addition to the Ards success story to be the star of the Ulster Open championships this weekend.

Melanie Nocher will don her Ards cap for the first time since making the move from City of Belfast in the summer.

Nocher, now based in Loughborough University, was simply outstanding at the European short course championships in Croatia, finishing fifth in the 200m backstroke.

Lindsay was the Irish coach in Croatia and already Nocher says she has been impressed with the man who will lead Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth Games squad in 2010.

Nocher said: “Nelson has so much knowledge it’s unbelievable. It was great working with him and I’m looking forward to working with him in the future.

“I’m feeling great about my swimming at the moment and now I’m looking forward to the Ulsters. I love competing at the Ulster championships.”

Meanwhile, Lindsay believes the time has come for the sport to stand against the growing use of technology.

The whole issue over the use of suits which improve performance has led to American coaches and 15 out of 17 of the top European nations coaches signing a petition for world governing body FINA to bring in new regulations.

This year the sport was transformed when Speedo introduced their new LZR suit, inspired by NASA and that has led to 105 new world records and 136 European records.

Lindsay highlighted the fear that before the World Championships a new suit featuring material which can link integrally with the central nervous system of a swimmer could be introduced.

Lindsay said: “They are now talking about suits coming in that will give what is called biofeedback which would mean you could actually dull pain for example. It’s lunacy.

“Over the weekend the Dutch head coach initiated the petition which will be going to FINA and I was more than happy to sign it. I haven’t met a coach yet who is in favour of the way things have been going.

“And there comes a time when you have to say just where do you draw the line with science, where will it stop.

“There is a call for an independent committee to judge any new suit and that any new one would have to be passed 12 months before the meet. We had the LZR suit introduced this year and at one stage some had it and some didn’t when qualifying was going on for the Olympic Games which was unfair because they obviously make a big difference.

“Coaches just seem to feel the sport is being corrupted in some ways because of financial interests.”