KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Olympic swimming hopefuls must tear up their training schedule after the Australian team refused to share time in Malaysia's National Aquatic Centre with the hosts, local media reported on Wednesday.
The Malaysian team had been hoping to persuade the Australians to give them two lanes of the Bukit Jalil pool to continue their regular sessions.
But Australia, who will set up camp in Malaysia from July 27-August 3 as part of their acclimatisation process for August's Beijing Olympics, refused to share, Malaysian tabloid the Star reported.
Rather than moving to alternative facilities, the Malaysians will instead now get up before dawn to train in the pool Australia hired under a 2005 deal.
"If we are unable to train at our normal time, we will have to shift it earlier," Malaysia swimming coach Paul Thomas Birmingham told the newspaper.
"I would be looking at us starting from 6am to 8am before the Australian team begin their morning session.
"I was given options to look at other venues but I would prefer our swimmers to stay put because it's not good to change the environment.
"It's not the ideal preparation but it's not the end of the world. We can somehow manage."
The Beijing Olympics take place from August 8-24.
