Age group swimmers get tough initiation in Tri-Series

New Zealand’s best age group swimmers made a cautious start to their national Tri-Series in Hawkes Bay yesterday.

The three-city, six-session series, aimed at expanding the age group talent and providing a stepping stone towards selection for the international Tri-Series in Australia, began in Hastings yesterday.

Seventy of the country’s leading swimmers in the 13-16 years age group have been divided into three teams to compete against each other in the inaugural Swimming New Zealand Tri-Series in Hastings, Taupo and Hawera.

Swimming New Zealand’s Age Group Programmes Manager Trevor Nicholls said the young swimmers have taken some time to adjust to the concept.

“They are living pretty basic in sleeping bags, and learning to adjust to the pressure of living away from home in teams and then stepping up and competing strongly from the get-go,” Mr Nicholls said.

“It was a bit of a shock to the system in the first session. We spoke with them and explained that if they were in Australia they would not get another swim. It’s one of the things we are trying to instil in them is this much harder and competitive environment across the Tasman.”

Mr Nicholls said they responded in the evening session last night with more than 50 per cent achieving personal bests, more than double the morning effort.

“There’s a long way to go and we will be looking at improvement across the board tomorrow in Taupo, and again in Hawera on Monday.”

Several swimmers did show out with Whangaparaoa 15 year old Mitchell Donaldson and Hamilton’s Troy Balvert the top scorers in the first two sessions.

Donaldson won three events in the first session – the 50m and 200m breaststroke and 400m individual medley – and two more at night with the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Balvert had a series of top swims, winning the 200m butterfly.

Other top performances came from Wellington’s Gareth Kean (Capital), who won the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke races.

“New Zealand is producing a number of high quality backstrokers and Gareth is another. At this rate of improvement he will be a real prospect for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

Others to shine included Ashley Rupapera (Stratford)with a clean sweep in all three breaststroke races, Ellen Quirke (Capital) with wins in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley and Clair Benson (Napier Sundevils) who won the 100m and 200m freestyle.

The meet moves to the AC Baths in Taupo tomorrow (Saturday) at 9.30am and 4.30pm with the final sessions at the Hawera Pool on Monday at 9.30am and 4.30pm.



For more information so 2008 NZ Tri-Series Competition