FINA World Short Course Swim Championships Day 2 Wrap

New Zealand swimmers were edged out of the medals on the second day of the FINA Short Course Championships in Manchester today.

Christchurch's Zoe Baker and North Shore's Moss Burmester came closest finishing fourth and fifth respectively in their finals in the drop-in pool at the MEN Centre.

Baker was a touch away from her second world championship medal, finishing fourth in the 50m breaststroke final.

The former world long course record holder finished in 30.38s, only 3/100ths from the silver medal in the race dominated by American Jessica Hardy who exploded off the turn to set a new world record of 29.58.

Baker, who did not make her trademark fast start, pushed home but could not quite catch Britain's Kate Haywood and Australian Kate Katsoulis, who tied for the silver medal. The New Zealand did beat home Australia's former world record holder Jade Edmistone who was fifth.

Burmester and team-mate Corney Swanepoel found the strength of Slovakia's Peter Mankoc too difficult to overcome in the final of the 100m butterfly.

Swanepoel, who regained his national record in his battle with Burmester with a 50.94 in the semifinals, made an electric start. He was first at the 25m and third at midpoint but could not sustain his effort to finish in 51.20s.

Burmester, a 200m specialist, pushed through the field in the second half of the race, to go under the 51 second mark for the first time, equalling Swanepoel's 50.94 for fifth place only 16/100ths of a second off the bronze medal.

"It was close but no cigar for us tonight. Zoe (Baker) did not quite have her best start but swam strongly," national coach Jan Cameron said.

"Corney really went for it and it's good that he has the confidence to do that and I was extremely pleased with the effort from Moss which sets him up well for his main event the 200m butterfly later in the meet."

The other finalist, North Shore's Glenn Snyders, who made a big breakthrough under the 59 second barrier for the first time in the heat, had another strong performance to finish seventh in the final. He was not able to lower his national record further but has set three sub-59 second swims at the meet.

Hayley Palmer (North Shore), 18, finished a creditable 12th in rankings for the 100m freestyle in her first major international meet. After qualifying 13th in the morning heats, she clocked 54.39 in the first semifinal which was only fractionally outside her national record.

In the morning England-based Cameron Gibson finished ranked 23rd in the 50m freestyle in 22.32, outside the national record he set competing in England last November.

It's a big day for the New Zealanders tomorrow with eight in action headed by Melissa Ingram in the 200m backstroke, Swanepoel in the 50m butterfly and Dean Kent in the 200m individual medley.

New Zealand results, day 2:

Semifinals, 100m freestyle: Hayley Palmer 54.39, 12th.

Finals:

50m breaststroke: Jessica Hardy (USA) 29.58, 1 (World Record); Kate Haywood (GBR) and Kate Katsoulis (AUS) 30.35, equal 2; Zoe Baker (NZL) 30.38, 4.
100m breaststroke: Igor Borysik (UKR) 57.74, 1 (Championship record); Cameron Van Der Burgh (RSA) 57.92, 2; Oleg Lisogor (UKR) 58.08, 3; Glenn Snyders (NZL) 58.82, 7.
100m butterfly: Peter Mankoc (SLO) 50.04, 1 (Championship record); Adam Pine (AUS) 50.54, 2; Nikoly Skvortsov (RUS) 50.78, 3. Moss Burmester (NZL) 50.94, 5 (equal NZ Record); Corney Swanepoel (NZL) 51.20, 6.