Burmester beats Mosse’s mark in record final night
New Zealand’s longest standing men’s swim record has passed from one Mosse to another on the final night of the Commonwealth Games Trials in Auckland tonight.
North Shore swimmer Moss Burmester broke the 18-year national mark held by the great Anthony Mosse in the 200m butterfly to spark the final night of trials at the West Waved Aquatic Centre in Waitakere City.
His North Shore clubmate Liz Coster replied with a New Zealand record in the 100m butterfly, sneaking under her own mark by 0.1s and edging closer to going under the one minute mark.
The records highlighted a brilliant final night at the championships with a further two individuals added to the team for Melbourne and seven further qualifying times set. This brings the total to 15 swimmers who have beaten qualifying times along with four relay teams.
``We said before the championships we were aiming for 12 individuals and three relays, so this overall result is excellent,’’ Swimming New Zealand director of coaching Clive Rushton said.
'`All of our proven performers have stood up and showed the benefits of their international experience.
``It gives us a strong nucleus of swimmers heading to Melbourne, possibly the strongest allround squad we have taken to a Commonwealth Games since the 1994 team to Canada.’’
Burmester has long held Mosse, the former Commonwealth Games gold medalist, as a mentor and has been closing in on his record for the past two years. He was 0.4s away in the morning heats but clocked 1:56.89 in the final, nearly 0.4s inside the old mark.
He also dragged Otago’s Andrew McMillan through to the Melbourne qualifying mark, clocking 2:00.72, just 7/100ths inside the time.
``That’s been a record that I have chased for such a long time. Anthony has been a mentor to me throughout my career,’’ Burmester said. ``It is great to finally crack that mark and to get Andrew through as well.
``My coach Jan Cameron said I can make one call to the USA tomorrow – to speak with Anthony Mosse.’’
Clubmate Coster continued her impressive form at the championships, qualifying in a third individual event after winning the 100m butterfly final to go with her wins in the 50m butterfly and freestyle finals.
She clocked 1:00.36 in the final, 0.1sec under her own record. Coster then turned around two races later to win the 50m backstroke final.
The strength of the North Shore club showed out in a classy final of the women’s 200m freestyle where Helen Norfolk dragged herself from third at the 150m mark to win ahead of clubmates Melissa Ingram and Alison Fitch. All three went under the Commonwealth Games qualifying time, adding Ingram to the team.
In other finals Roskill’s Lewis Williams upset titleholder Scott Talbot-Cameron to win the 50m backstroke while Australian Michelle Englesman, fifth in the Athens Olympics, took out the 50m freestyle ahead of Nichola Chellingworth, who posted another Games qualifying time.
Cameron Gibson (North Shore) completed a successful meet with victory in the 100m freestyle and clubmate Dean Kent held off another North Shore swimmer Glenn Snyders to win the 100m breaststroke.
Sixteen-year-old Wellington swimmer Kelly Bentley narrowly missed qualifying in the 200m breaststroke final. She produced a gallant display and was still on schedule at the 150m mark, clocking 2:32.23, just 0.8seconds outside the mark for Melbourne.
Auckland’s Daniel Ryan took out the 1500m freestyle title after a brilliant battle with Otago teenager Bryn Murphy, with just 3/100ths of a second separating the pair.
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