Coster leads NZ swimmers on first day of Panpacs
Liz Coster led the way after qualifying for the A final of the 100m backstroke where she will come up against world champion and recrod-holder Natalie Coughlin from the USA.
Coster (North Shore) showed the benefit of recent training focus on backstroke than her butterfly stroke when she qualified eighth fastest in the heats at Victoria this morning.
She clocked 1:02.04 for the eighth fastest time, nearly one second off her previous best to nudge clubmate and Commonwealth record holder Hannah McLean to the B final.
McLean, who had a long break after the Commonwealth Games and has been based in Europe, clocked 1:02.13 to top qualifiers for the B final but was outside her best of 1:00.83 set in Melbourne.
Commonwealth Games gold medalist Moss Burmester will swim in the B final of his favoured 200m butterfly in today’s finals after clocking the 12th fastest time in the morning heats. He has also had time out of the pool after Melbourne and was below his Commonwealth record of 1:56.64.
Burmester lined up alongside Olympic champion Michael Phelps in the final heat, clocking 1:59.73 in his heat while Phelps topped qualifiers four seconds faster than the Kiwi.
Southland swimmer Bryn Murphy, now based at the Waves club in Dunedin, set a personal best to be third fastest of the slower group in the 800m freestyle. Murphy, in his first taste of major international competition, clocked 8:11.52, more than five seconds off his previous best in a superb effort, with the fastest eight qualifiers to swim in today’s finals.
Other personal bests in the morning heats were recorded by Robert Voss (North Shore), Michael Jack (West Auckland Aquatics) and Ben Pickersgill-Brown (Aquagym, Chch) in their heats of the 200m freestyle along with John Zulch (North Shore) in the 100m backstroke.
The championship continues until Monday (NZ time).
New Zealand results, day 1 heats:
200m freestyle:
Helen Norfolk 2:01.54, 18th; Lauren Boyle 2:01.67, 20; Alison Fitch 2:04.87, 35.
Robert Voss 1:51.42, 26; Michael Jack 1:52.34, 28; Ben Pickersgill-Brown 1:53.44, 34; Andrew McMillan 1:54.68, 35; Cameron Gibson 1:55.29, 36; Dean Kent 1:56.39, 37; Bryn Murphy1:57.40, 39.
100m backstroke:
Liz Coster 1:02.04, 8th, Hannah McLean 1:02.13, 9; Melissa Ingram 1:02.90, 18.
John Zulch 58.07, 27; Kent 58.86, 28.
200m butterfly:
Moss Murmester 1:59.73, 12th.
800m freestyle:
Murphy 8:11.52, 3 (B qualifiers).
