Preliminary rounds of the 2011 New Zealand Swimming Championship: Day four – Recap
The 2011 New Zealand Swimming Championship continues on the fourth day in Auckland, to select national swimmers for the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, this July. The session featured the preliminary rounds of seven events for Men and Women.
In the Women’s 50m breast-stroke, Qeii Swim Club’s Kelly Briden dominated her way into the finals by posting a time of 33.26 seconds ahead of the Aqua Gym’s Abbie Johnston and Neptune Swimming Club’s Katie Kenneally, who touched the wall in 33.76 and 33.81
seconds, respectively.
In the Men’s 50m backstroke, North Shore Swimming’s Daniel Bell earned the fastest qualification into the finals in a time of 26.30 seconds. Capital Swim Club’s Gareth Kean and Laser Mt Eden Swimming Club’s Blake Bassett followed him into the finals with
a timing of 26.58 and 27.40 seconds, respectively.
North Shore Swimming also remained evident in the Women’s 50m backstroke, as three of their swimmers topped the fastest qualification criteria for the finals. North Shore’s Emily Thomas emerged as the fastest swimmer in a time of 29.64 seconds and was followed
by his team-members, Melissa Ingram and Jessie Blundell, who touched the wall in a time of 30.07 and 30.30 seconds, respectively.
In the Men’s 100m freestyle, North Shore again occupied the top two qualification spots. Carl O’ Donnell was the fastest man to enter the finals with a timing of 50.93 seconds ahead of his team-member, Andrew McMillan, who touched home in 51.35 seconds.
The third fastest spot was secured by Laser Mt Eden Swimming Club’s Velimir Stjepanovic, who clocked a time of 51.44 seconds.
In the Women’s 200m butterfly, Aquabladz Taranaki Swim Club’s Charlotte Webby finished as the fastest swimmer in the preliminary rounds with a timing of 2:14.54 minutes. Waverley Swimming Club’s Natalie Wiegersma and Aquabladz Taranaki Swim Club’s Bianca
Bradley followed her into the finals for the second and third fastest spot in a time of 2:17.54 and 2:21.42 minutes, respectively.
The next event was the Men’s 200m Individual Medley, where Steven Kent of North Shore Swimming won the hearts of crowd after a dazzling swim of 2:06.31, which provided him with the fastest qualification into the final. Kent was followed by Howick Pakuranga’s
Carsten Corazza and Capital Swim Club’s John Gatfield, who engaged him in a tough battle and reported a time of 2:06.54 and 2:08.10 minutes, respectively.
The last event of the day was the Women’s 50m freestyle final, where North Shore’s Hayley Palmer comfortably earned the fastest qualification spot in 25.87 seconds ahead of the Capital Swim Club’s Tash Hind and North Shore’s Samantha Richter, who came home
in 26.40 and 26.49 seconds, respectively.
The finals of the same events will take place in the evening session, where the swimmers will confirm their places in the New Zealand Swimming Team for the World Championships in July.
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