2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
- Meet site
- Competition Schedule
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Entry Lists
- Results
New Zealand is still seeking its first finalist here at the 2019 World Championships, but at least day 5 brought a Tokyo 2020 relay qualification in the form of the women’s 4x200m free.
The combination of Erika Fairweather, Carina Doyle, Chelsey Edwards, and Eve Thomas collectively clocked a time of 8:03.28 to finish 10th out of the heats. The top 12 finishing teams in each relay category automatically qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo next year.
Splits for the women this morning include a 1:58.84 for Fairweather, 2:00.92 for Doyle, 2:01.88 for Edwards and 2:01.64 for Thomas. For Fairweather, the teen’s sub-1:59 outing established a new lifetime best and New Zealand Age Record for 15-year-olds.
She was 1:59.37 at the New Zealand Championships in June and put up a time of 1:59.68 for 19th in the individual event earlier here in Gwangju. As such, this morning’s lead-off represents the teen’s first-ever outing under 1:59.
For perspective, Fairweather’s 1:58.84 this morning would check the Kiwi in as the 9th fastest American 15 and 16-year-old performer in history.
Fairweather also competed in the women’s 400m free on morning 1 here in Gwangju, finishing 17th in a time of 4:12.30, although she was much faster in April at the aforementioned NZ Championships with a lifetime best there of 4:09.33.
Oceanic Swimming Medal Table Through Day 5:
| RANK | NATION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| 2 | Australia | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |