Top swimmers chase the competitive edge across Tasman

New Zealand’s top swimmers are chasing more competition to ensure they are on target for success at next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Most of New Zealand’s leading candidates chasing selection for next year’s Commonwealth Games are heading for the Queensland State Championships this weekend, the first of several trips across the Tasman this summer.

The total Kiwi contingent competing in the week-long championships is 58 swimmers.

The evaluation of this year’s world championships in Rome pointed to insufficient top level competition in the lead-up to the pinnacle event.

“We’ve identified that we had a shortfall in the amount of competitive racing this year and therefore the leading squad members will be racing in Australia every month leading up to the Commonwealth Games Trials in April,” said Jan Cameron, Swimming New Zealand’s General Manager Performance and Pathways.

“We want more racing for our swimmers, especially international long course events. We need more international competition and Australia provides that for us.

“It is not so much looking for top times but we want to enhance their performances by increasing their competitive edge and get top competition to hone their race skills.

“That is going to mean regular racing every month for most of the swimmers.”

That begins with the Queensland Championships in Brisbane this weekend, followed by the Victorian Championships in January, New South Wales Championships in February and the Auckland Championships in March.

The Commonwealth Games Trials are at West Wave Aquatic Centre in Waitakere City in April.

The New Zealand swimmers to compete in week-long championships in Brisbane, starting this Saturday, are:

International Training Centre: Moss Burmester, Corney Swanepoel, Glenn Snyders, Tash Hind, Neilson Varoy, Amaka Gessler.

North Shore: Andrew McMillan, Daniel Bell, Melissa Ingram, Penelope Marshall, Emily Thomas, Cameron Stanley, Hayley Palmer, Chloe Francis, , Jessie Blundell, Matt Thomas, William Benson, . Shaun Burnett, Sam Robinson.

Capital Swim Club: Joel Byrne,

West Auckland Aquatics: Michael Jack

Wharenui Swim Club: Charlotte Moala

Swimzone Racing: Matt Woodrow, John Gatfield, Steven Kent, Casey Glover.

Waves Swim Club: Clive Cox

QEII Swim Club: Hannah Saunders

Bell Block Swim Club: Charlotte Webby.

Howick Pakuranga Swim Club: Rachel Palmer, Emma Lowther, Michelle Murray, Carsten Corassa, Andrei Rodina.

Taieri Swim Club: Sarah Whitmore.

Neptune Swim Club: Aleisha Ruske, Nicole Ruske, Grace Perry.

Waves Swim Club: Ciaran Jansen, Phys Applegarth, Kieran Applegarth, Shane Patience, Rachel Hare, Phoebe Williams, Phoebe O’Leary.

Southland: Adam McDonald, Robert McDonald, Richard Harris, Lisa Pankhurst, Natalie Wiegersma, Lisa Catto, Michael Findlay.

Laser Mt Eden Swim Club: Orinioco Faamausili-Banse, Jordan Quintal, Blake Bassett, Grace Marriner-Duncan.