By Sarah Falson

SYDNEY: Fujitsu General today announced it will give a $20,000 bonus to the team who wins tonight’s Swimming Australia Fujitsu Duel In The Pool between Australia’s Telstra Dolphins and Team USA at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

The Fujitsu World Record Pool will be structured similarly to the FINA World Cup world record bonus pool with the world record swimmers sharing the $20,000. The FINA World Championships have been staged in Melbourne over the past week, with Australia breaking one world record and USA breaking a massive 12.

“We are delighted to have been chosen to sponsor the ‘Duel in the Pool’ event,” said Fujitsu General marketing manager, Milton Kaloudis.

“It’s not only a chance for us to be associated with a major sporting event but also an opportunity for us to get behind the Australian swim team and encourage the community to do the same,” he said.

Fujitsu General will also be running a promotion in the Sunday Magazine offering readers the chance to win a 42-inch high resolution Plasmavision plasma screen by purchasing tickets to attend tonight’s event.

“Fujitsu General will also use this event as a platform to launch their 2007 Fujitsu Free Money winter promotion which is back again after a very successful run last winter. The promotion commences on 1 April and will conclude on 31 August 2007,” said Kaloudis.

Swimming Australia and the Australian and USA teams are excited about tonight’s cash incentive.

“Swimming Australia thanks Fujitsu General for its support of what I’m sure will be one of the great nights of swimming in Sydney,” said Swimming Australia CEO Glenn Tasker.

“There has been a world record bonus pool in the two previous Duel meets in Indianapolis in 2003 and Los Angeles in 2005 so between Swimming Australia and Fujitsu General we thought it only fitting to give these amazing athletes a bonus if they can break a world record in Sydney.

“We are going to see some of the greatest swimmers in history – and in Michael Phelps possibly the greatest swimmer in history – we want to ensure that if there is a world record then we reward them for their efforts.”

According to the Telstra Dolphins national head coach, Alan Thompson, the Australian team are “chuffed” at the proposed bonus.

“It’s a very generous bonus offered by Swimming Australia and Fujitsu and you never know it just might give our guys that little extra incentive to push it all the way,” he said.