Nicholas Groenewald improves 400m IM Australian Age Record: 2011 Australian Age Championships
Nunawading’s Nicholas Groenewald improves another record in the 400m Individual Medley (IM) on day six of the 2011 Australian Age Championships in Adelaide. The championship is an opportunity for the national age group swimmers to prove their potential to
the elites of Swimming Australia.
Groenewald earned the gold medal for the 400m IM, clocking a time of 4:40.24 minutes. His time was comfortably under the former Australian record and last year’s titleholder, Ryan Leonard, who clocked 4:42.99 minutes to own the crown. Melbourne’s Davenport
Wright and NZL’s W Coetzee followed him on the podium for the silver and bronze medal in a time of 4:45.83 and 4:50.84 minutes respectively.
Moments earlier, 13-year-old Groenewald improved the national record for the 100m back-stroke by touching the wall in 59.00 seconds. His record breaking phase on a single session of the championship made him the spot light of media.
Groenewald took off the starting blocks with a quickest start and completed the first lap in 29.52 seconds while Davenport appeared as the second fastest in a time of 30.05 seconds. They both continued a stroke-to-stroke battle in the second lap, where Groenewald
posted 34.97 seconds against Wright’s 34.60 seconds port. By the end of the first round, Groenewald was 0.17 seconds faster from Wright, clocking a time of 1:04.49 minutes as compared to Wright’s 1:04.65 minutes effort.
Then, Groenewald earned a three second lead in the second round, clocking 2:13.89 minutes against Wright’s 2:16.75 minutes. Groenewald’s lead extended in the next round of the swim, where his considerable faster swims in two laps enhanced his lead to seven
seconds. He clocked a time of 3:34.42 minutes in contrast to Wright’s 3:41.48 minutes. Groenewald completed his race in an Australian Record time of 4:40.24 minutes ahead of Wright, who clocked 4:45.83 minutes.
Groenewald seemed very happy after his second record-breaking performance in the evening session. He aims to continue this in his next age group, as this was his last participation in the 12-13 years' age bracket and next year he will be competing in the
14-year-old's age group.
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