Sophie Pascoe (QEII) was racing by herself in the Women's S9 100m Butterfly. Not only did Pascoe break the World Para-Swimming (WPS) World Record in the heats this morning with a time of 1:04.87 seconds, she broke it again in the finals tonight when she swam an impressive 1:02.48 seconds. This was a personal best (PB) for Sophie since 2016.
The Men’s 50m Freestyle was shaping up to be one of the highlights in the lead up to the event and it didn’t disappoint.
Daniel Hunter (Howick Pakuranga) broke his own New Zealand Open Record with a time of 22.27 seconds. The fastest time he has swum since 2016 but still just short of the Fina A qualification time for World Championships
but which meant Michael Pickett (North Shore) could qualify. Pickett finished in 22.34 seconds (just 0.07s behind Hunter) and is within the development consideration time for World Championships. This time also breaks the New Zealand 16 Years Age Record.
In third place, Corey Main (Howick Pakuranga) finished in 22.63 seconds. All athletes swimming in this event made a PB.
Hunter can still go to World Championships to swim in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay as he was in the top four fastest of last nights Men's 200m Freestyle. The relay team will be Lewis Clareburt, Mathew Stanley, Daniel Hunter and Zac Reid.
Erika Fairweather (Neptune) once again amazed us with her freestyle swimming. Fairweather placed first in the Women’s 200m Freestyle with a time of 1:59.37 seconds. This time is within the development consideration time to qualify for World Championships and is a New Zealand 15 Years Age Record.
North Shore’s Carina Doyle came second with a time of 2:00.27 seconds, which was 0.16 seconds slower than what she swum in the morning heats. Chelsey Edwards (Capital) took third finishing in 2:02.07 seconds.
Brad Ashby (North shore) qualified for World Championships in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley with a time of 1:59.60 seconds. He swam the qualifying time in the morning heats but swam 0.41 seconds faster in the evening finals.
The race for second place was incredibly close with 17-year-old Luan Grobbelaar from Kiwi West Aquatics claiming it with a time of 2:02.69 seconds and Jonathon Rutter (North Shore) claimed third place, finishing in 2:03.13 seconds.
Andrew Jeffcoat (Puekohe) almost broke the New Zealand Open Record in the Men’s 50m Backstroke with a time of 25.36 seconds but was just 0.08 seconds off.
Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (Wharenui) who broke the New Zealand 15 years Age Record in the morning heats of the Men’s 50m Backstroke with a time of 26.78 seconds, broke the record again in the finals with a time of 26.43 seconds! Cameron Gray (North Shore), also Age 15 went under the morning record but was beaten to the finish by Taiko, by just 0.14 seconds.
Ciara Smith (Northwave) broke the New Zealand 18 Years Age Record in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke with a time of 2:32.92 seconds.