Palmer gets confidence boost at NZ Swim Championships

North Shore teenager Hayley Palmer made a statement of intent with a strong performance on the fourth morning of the New Zealand Open Swim Championships in Christchurch today.

Palmer, 19, went under the time for selection to the World Championships to top the qualifiers in the 100m freestyle, although she will need to repeat the effort in tonight’s final to book a place on the team for Rome.

The 900 point FINA mark to secure selection to July’s world championships can only be achieved in finals.

Palmer went to the Beijing Olympics as a member of the relay team but if she can repeat or improve on her 55.03s effort tonight, she will qualify as an individual. She has gone faster, breaking the New Zealand record with a 54.85s effort at Beijing.

North Shore’s Carl O’Donnell was fastest in heats of the 100m freestyle ahead of Michael Jack (West Auckland Aquatics) who qualified for the World Championships in the 200m freestyle last night.

There will be real focus on the 200m backstroke tonight with Olympic semifinallist Melissa Ingram and North Shore’s Penelope Marshall hoping for qualification with a gaggle of promising men in action headed by North Shore’s Cameron Stanley and Wellington’s Gareth Kean.

Moss Burmester, fourth in Beijing, is expected to add his favoured 200m butterfly to his world championship menu after qualifying in the 100m butterfly and 400m freestyle.

The finals start at 6pm tonight and the championships conclude tomorrow.