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Swimmers on target to better tough times in Commonwealth Games trials

Saturday 3 April 2010, 7:38AM

By Sports Media NZ

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WAITAKERE CITY

Swimmers are on track to better challenging qualifying standards for the Commonwealth Games at the State Insurance New Zealand Championships that begin at Waitakere City on Monday.
Swimming New Zealand is positive about the stiff targets they have set for Commonwealth Games selection which at the same level as for the Beijing Olympics where swimmers had the benefits of the full length swim suits that are now banned.
“We want to raise the bar all the time and we want our swimmers to be continually improving their world rankings,” said Swimming New Zealand’s Jan Cameron.
“Yes the targets are tough but we want swimmers going to New Delhi capable of making finals and swimmers who continue to push and improve themselves.”
There’s plenty at stake for all swimmers at the championships which will not only form the sole qualifying meet for the Commonwealth Games but will also form the selection for the Pan Pacific Championships, the Junior Pan Pacs, the Youth Olympics, Oceania Championships and the Trans Tasman.
“This is a great opportunity to have the very best swimmers in the country all together at one event that will decide selection for all of our national teams through the grades and the ages for this year.”
There were nine swimmers qualify for last year’s world championships in Rome, with two of those in Kurt Bassett and Cameron Gibson now retired.
Cameron believes a team of similar size is likely for New Delhi, with swimmers having to achieve the qualifying times in the finals at West Wave Aquatic Centre next week.
“We are building some really good depth just under our tried-and-proven performers, and the stage is theirs at the championship to see if they can edge up to those qualifying standards.”
Cameron said she is confident swimmers can achieve the targets although noted that the times were slower at the recent Australian trials.
Some will have the confidence that they have bettered the times in lead-up competition including last year’s world championship competitors Andrew McMillan and his North Shore team-mate Daniel Bell.
Beijing Olympian Melissa Ingram has returned better than ever after missing last year’s world championships, breaking national records and going under the qualifying times in the 200m and 400m freestyle and 200m backstroke.
Her North Shore team-mate Emily Thomas is another under the times late last year in the 100m backstroke, as did exciting Southland swimmer Natalie Wiegersma, a former world youth champion, who set a new national record and went under the target times in the 200m and 400m individual medley.
The experienced campaigners are also on track led by Moss Burmester, who wants the chance to defend his Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 200m butterfly, along his SNZ high performance squad members, Corney Swanepoel and Glenn Snyders under coach Thomas Ansorg.
North Shore sprinter Hayley Palmer was one of the stars at last year’s world championships with other contenders including Queensland-based Cara Baker, who has already qualified in the open water, Tash Hind (Capital), Penny Marshall (North Shore), Michael Jack (West Auckland), Jessie Blundell (North Shore), Sophia Batchelor (Aqua Gym) and Lauren Boyle (north Shore), returning after the completion of her scholarship at the University of California.
There is also more at stake than just the Commonwealth Game
The championships begin on Monday until Friday with heats from 10am and finals from 6pm, along with the Skins-Charity Meet on Saturday 10 April that features most of New Zealand’s greats from the past.
Full details: www.swimmingnz.org.nz