Veteran Meets Youth in Men’s 50 Free at NZ Open

2018 NEW ZEALAND OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Monday, July 2nd – Friday, July 6th
• Sir Owen G. Glenn National Aquatic Center
• LCM
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets
• NZ Pan Pacific Championships Selection Criteria
• Live Stream
• Meet Results

New Zealand sprint veteran Daniel Hunter won his 4th-straight 50 free title, and his runner-up set a New Zealand record on day 2 of the 2018 New Zealand Open Swimming Championships.

Hunter, who has already qualified for the Pan Pac Championships via his 22.32 at the Commonwealth Games, won the 50 free final on Wednesday with a 22.60. Finishing 2nd behind him was North Shore 15-year old Michael Pickett in 23.13.

That time for Pickett in finals was a small add from the morning, where he posted a 23.08. Both swims were under his old National Age Group Record of 23.14 that he set in May.

This marks now 4 National Age Group Records so far at this meet for Pickett after setting new standards in both the 50 fly (25.46 in prelims, 25.21 in finals) and the 100 free (50.69 on a relay leadoff) on Monday.

Other Event Winners:

• After almost matching her Commonwealth Games time in the 200 free earlier in the meet, Carina Doyle was further from the same in her 400 free. Pacing a pair of young middle distance swimmers, Doyle won the 400 free in 4:16.40, followed by 14-year old Erika Fairweather (4:16.89) and 17-year old Eve Thomas (4:17.60). Fairweather and Thomas’ times both are Jr. Pan Pacs and Youth Olympic Games standards. Fairweather’s time is also a new Age Record in the event, matching the one she did in the 200 on Tuesday. The old record was a 4:21.73 done by Verity Hicks in 2003.
• Lewis Clareburt bettered his own National Age Records for 18-year olds in the 200 IM when he swam 2:00.65 to win. That knocked half-a-second from the 2:01.13 that he swam in April for 7th place at the Commonwealth Games.
• Hillcrest Swim Club 16-year old Gina McCarthy won the women’s 200 IM in 2:18.53.
• Rebecca Moynihan from Raumati Swimming Club won the women’s 50 free in 26.22, beating out teenager Chelsey Edwards. The aforementioned 400 champion Doyle swam the 50 on a quick turnaround and placed 3rd in 26.48.
• Corneille Coetzee gave North Shore another event win when he topped the 100 backstroke in 55.85.
• Vloakian swimmer Karolina Hajkova won her 2nd event of the meet, taking the women’s 100 backstroke in 1:01.79.
• Zac Reid won his 3rd title of the meet, adding the 800 free to earlier wins in the 400 (3:51.10) and 200 (1:50.35) freestyles on days 1 and 2 of the meet. Reid’s winning time of 8:01.87 is a new record for 18-year olds, though Swimming New Zealand didn’t previously recognize a record in the event.

Team Standings

Top 5, Combined, After Day 3:

1. North Shore – 2,434 points
2. Howick Pakuranga – 1,978 points
3. United Swimming Club – 1,376 points
4. Capital Swim Club – 968 points
5. Selwyn Swim Club – 740 points