2020 NEW ZEALAND OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Saturday, January 11th & Sunday, January 12th
- Lake Taupo
- Results
The 2020 New Zealand Open Water Championships wrapped up over the weekend, where over 300 swimmers representing 44 swim clubs raced in Lake Taupo. The Championships consisted of male and female open 10k timed finals on Saturday, followed by open 5k timed finals on Sunday.
Taking the men’s open 10k race was Sebastien Priscott from Waterhole Swimming. The 19-year-old hit the time pad in the only sub-2 hour time of the field, clocking 1:58.50 to top the podium.
Runner-up in the men’s 10k was earned by Phoenix Douglas of Capital Swim Club who touched in 2:01.59, while Swim Rotorua’s David Boles rounded out the top 3 in 2:02.24.
Priscott would go on to make it a double, winning the 5k event as well in a time of 59:08.28.
Another teenager took the title in the women’s edition of the 10k, as 17-year-old Ashleigh Allred got the job done in a time of 2:12.03. The St. Peter’s Swim Club athlete held off a charging Mia Pugh from Evolution, who settled for silver in 2:15.22, but her age of 18 rendered her gold medalist of the 18&O category.
Ruby Heath of Capital also landed on the podium, reaping bronze in her first-ever NZ Open Water Championships event in a time of 2:19.23.
Phoenix Aquatics’ Hayley Mcintosh touched first in the women’s 5k, with her 1:04.04 beating out the field for gold.
With their performances over the weekend, Priscott and Pugh have earned roster spots for this year’s Oceania Swimming Championships slated for Suva, Fiji in mid-June.