Absolute Insurance Youth & Open Swim - Day 2 Finals
Thursday 5 April 2007, 1:05PM
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Absolute Insurance Youth & Open Swim Championships 2 Credit:
Swimming NZ
New Zealand’s crack swimmers dominated titles on the first morning of finals at the Absolute Insurance Youth and Open Championships in Christchurch this morning.
Andrew McMillan, Dean Kent and Glenn Snyders won three of the four finals decided at the QE2 Aquatic Centre in the first test of the new format for next year’s Beijing Olympics.
Olympic organisers have reversed the normal swimming format to run heats in the evening and semifinals and finals in mornings to better fit with international television requirements.
The other final on the first morning went to Manawatu’s Cara Baker who held off fellow talented teenage prospect Natalie Wiegersma (Southland) to win the 400m individual medley.
With Helen Norfolk bypassing the medley, it was Baker’s first national open title in the event owned by Norfolk in recent times.
“It was a solid first morning. I thought the swimmers not involved in the world championships handled the new format quite well and the swims last night were encouraging,†head coach Jan Cameron said.
“The Melbourne swimmers are fatigued and are having to cope with that on top of the new format.
“But they are working through that and learn to make the change.
“This is as much about recovery processes and what they do in the mornings to prepare to race fast in morning swims.â€Â
McMillan trailed Melbourne team-mate Moss Burmester at the halfway mark of the men’s 200m freestyle before coming home to win in 1:51.10, just ahead of Burmester and Robert Voss.
Kent was in a league of his own with a comfortable win in the 400m medley in 4:24.62 well clear of Brett Newall (West Auckland) while Snyders was equally emphatic in winning the 200m breaststroke in 2:17.20.
The second day of heats is this evening.
Full results: www.swimmingnz.org.nz
For further information:
Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianhep@xtra.co.nz
Andrew McMillan, Dean Kent and Glenn Snyders won three of the four finals decided at the QE2 Aquatic Centre in the first test of the new format for next year’s Beijing Olympics.
Olympic organisers have reversed the normal swimming format to run heats in the evening and semifinals and finals in mornings to better fit with international television requirements.
The other final on the first morning went to Manawatu’s Cara Baker who held off fellow talented teenage prospect Natalie Wiegersma (Southland) to win the 400m individual medley.
With Helen Norfolk bypassing the medley, it was Baker’s first national open title in the event owned by Norfolk in recent times.
“It was a solid first morning. I thought the swimmers not involved in the world championships handled the new format quite well and the swims last night were encouraging,†head coach Jan Cameron said.
“The Melbourne swimmers are fatigued and are having to cope with that on top of the new format.
“But they are working through that and learn to make the change.
“This is as much about recovery processes and what they do in the mornings to prepare to race fast in morning swims.â€Â
McMillan trailed Melbourne team-mate Moss Burmester at the halfway mark of the men’s 200m freestyle before coming home to win in 1:51.10, just ahead of Burmester and Robert Voss.
Kent was in a league of his own with a comfortable win in the 400m medley in 4:24.62 well clear of Brett Newall (West Auckland) while Snyders was equally emphatic in winning the 200m breaststroke in 2:17.20.
The second day of heats is this evening.
Full results: www.swimmingnz.org.nz
For further information:
Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianhep@xtra.co.nz