NZL SC C’ships: 16-Year-Old Fairweather Hits 1:55.23 200 Free

2020 NEW ZEALAND SC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, October 6th – Saturday, October 10th
• Waterworld Te Rapa, New Zealand
• SCM (25m)
• Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Results

World Championships bronze medalist Lewis Clareburt was in fine form today in Hamilton, with the versatile 21-year-old taking home 2 golds on the evening.

First, on night 3 of these New Zealand Short Course Championships, Clareburt hit a time of 1:44.26 to reap the top prize in the men’s 200m free. Splitting 50.52/53.74, Clareburt’s winning effort marked the only outing under the 1:45 threshold, beating out the 400m and 800m free victor here Zac Reid.

Reid settled for silver in this shorter distance in 1:45.28, a new career-fastest. Prior to this meet, the 20-year-old owned a 2free PB of 1:46.18.

As for Clareburt, the man had never before been under 1:49 in this event, just barely having gotten under the 1:50 mark back in 2017 when he produced a time of 1:49.98. The 400m IM bronze medalist from Gwangju, however, overtook that in spades to become New Zealand’s 3rd fastest performer all-time with his winning 1:44.26.

But Clareburt wasn’t done, taking on the 200m IM event before the night was through. Entering these championships with a lifetime best of 1:55.96 from just this past month, the Capital Club swimmer dropped another .26 to check-in with a gold medal-worthy 1:55.70.

Clareburt marked the only swimmer tonight to get under 2:00, as Virginia Tech-bound athlete Luan Grobbelaar clocked 2:00.00 for runner-up.

Clareburt remains New Zealand’s 2nd fastest ever SCM 200 IMer in history with his 1:55.70 performance tonight.

For the women, it was 16-year-old World Junior Champion Erika Fairweather who put on a show, blasting a huge PB in the 200m free tonight. Opening in 56.08 and coming home in 59.15, Fairweather’s monster 1:55.23 not only topped tonight’s field by over 4 seconds, but it nearly knocks a second off of the teen’s previous career-fastest of 1:56.17 from just this past August.

Fairweather remains New Zealand’s 2nd fastest all-time performer in this event, with her 1:55.23 time here encroaching on Olympic medalist Lauren Boyle’s longstanding senior national record of 1:54.97 that’s been on the books since 2013. IN the meantime, Fairweather will settle for an age record with her stellar outing here.