Young swimming talent converges on Waterworld

4 september 2013

For Immediate Release

Nearly 500 teenage swimmers will compete in the New Zealand Secondary School Swimming Championships at Hamilton’s Waterworld swimming facility this weekend.

It is the third consecutive year Waterworld has hosted the competition, running from 6 September to 8 September, which this year comprises five sessions of racing across nearly all Olympic swimming disciplines.

Mathew Bayliss, Hamilton City Council’s Swimming and Recreation Manager, says the meeting is a chance for the region’s residents to see some high-quality young swimmers in action.

“We are very pleased to be hosting this competition: we pride ourselves on offering a world-class venue for competitive swimming events and this is our first major meeting of the season,” he says.

“Waterworld was designed with competitive swimming in mind, so our team is excited about welcoming back these talented young athletes, their coaches and their supporters.”

Kent Stead, Swimming New Zealand’s Events Manager, says the Secondary School Swimming Championships is a relatively new competition on the Swimming NZ calendar.

“We’ve committed to Waterworld for three years, and although it will be hosted by other cities in coming years, we will be returning to Hamilton. We chose the facility because it has great seating, pools which meet our needs, and it’s close to Auckland, where a lot of the competitors will come from.”

Mr Stead says the meeting gives young swimmers a chance to represent their schools in what is largely a club-based sport.

Mr Bayliss says the meeting will mean the 50-metre and diving pools will be unavailable throughout the weekend, but regular Hamilton Pools customers can visit Gallagher Aquatic Centre in Melville, which is open from 6am to 8pm on Friday, and from 7.30am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

ENDS

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