Tough standards challenge swimmers for Beijing

Swimming New Zealand has raised the bar for swimmers chasing Beijing qualification in the Absolute Insurance 08 Olympic Trials that start in Waitakere City tomorrow (Tuesday).

Swimmers will need to achieve the FINA A qualifying time during the six-day trials at the West Wave Aquatic Centre – equal to a top-16 ranking in the world over the last two years – if they are to secure an Olympic berth.

National coach Jan Cameron said it is imperative to continue to challenge New Zealand’s best swimmers to keep improving and she agrees with the tough qualifying standards.

“We want our swimmers to be internationally competitive and not just achieve the goal of a place in the Olympics, but go there with reasonable expectations,” Jan Cameron said.

“So we have put in place times that will test them and ensure we take swimmers to Beijing that will be competitive.

“It is really putting the pressure on this week. They have got to stand up and be counted. Having said that I am confident we have the swimmers to really respond.”

The Championships will be run under the same format as Beijing with heats from 6pm starting tomorrow (Tuesday) and finals in the morning from 10am on Wednesday through to Sunday.

Six swimmers have gone under the FINA A standard in eight events over the last 12 months. They are led by Commonwealth Games gold medalist Moss Burmester, ranked sixth in the world in 2007 over the 200m butterfly.

Both Dean Kent and Helen Norfolk have gone under the times in both the 200m and 400m individual medley, with Kent’s best ranking 13th in the world last year in the 200m

Corney Swanepoel achieved the time in the 100m butterfly where he was 18th in the world last year.

Melissa Ingram, a medalist in last year’s World University Games, has gone under the standard in the 200m backstroke, while teammate Liz Coster went under the time this year in the 100m backstroke.

Three relay teams involving six Olympic possibles have already posted times equal to top 12 at last year’s world championships. This gives them the invitation to go to Beijing but they too must perform at the trials and post times that equal or better this standard.

“The NZOC are requiring standards which cross all sports and ensure the whole New Zealand team is homogenous.”

The other three relays will be also challenging for a spot.

Thirteen swimmers posted times that qualified them for April’s FINA World Short Course Championships and it is expected that this team will form the nucleus of the Olympic possible in contention this week.

Other swimmers in the potential mix for Beijing in individual events include Glenn Snyders (North Shore), the Bath University-based sprinter Cameron Gibson, sprinter Hayley Palmer (North Shore), USA based Lauren Boyle (West Auckland Aquatics) in the 100m and 200m freestyle and Annabelle Carey (Aquagym, Christchurch) in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.