Eight swimmers and one relay qualify on day one
Five swimmers qualified in the morning heats - North Shore swimmers Helen Norfolk, Liz Coster, Nichola Chellingworth and Moss Burmester along with Canterbury’s Zoe Baker – with all going under the qualifying mark again in the evening.
They were joined tonight by the North Shore pair of Scott Talbot-Cameron and Dean Kent along with Canterbury butterfly exponent Georgina Toomey. The first night was brought to a fitting conclusion with the Auckland quartet of Rebecca Linton, Alison Fitch, Lauren Boyle and Melissa Ingram bettered the qualifying mark in the women’s 800m freestyle relay.
Swimming New Zealand Director of Coaching Clive Rushton was delighted with the first day’s results.
``It was an excellent start. I was impressed that so many swimmers got up for the morning heats and there were some superb swims in the evening as well with swimmers going faster than the morning heats,’’ Rushton said.
Norfolk started the charge in the morning clocking 4:50.70 in the 400m medley, one second inside the qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games. She went nearly four seconds quicker in an impressive evening final, just outside Liz Van Welie’s national record.
Unfortunately she could not quite drag Van Welie (Greerton) through to a qualifying time.
``With the qualifying out of the way this morning I concentrated on my skills tonight and working on my technique,’’ Norfolk said. ``It was a good chance to see where I am at towards the Commonwealth Games.
``I am training through this met and therefore was not expecting too much which makes the effort tonight pleasing.’’
Clubmates Coster and the Australian-based Chellingworth qualified in the 50m butterfly in the morning, and went under the mark again in the evening semifinals. They were joined by Toomey (Jasi) with all three under the qualifying mark, but all three still nearly one second away from top qualifier Therese Alshammar (Sweden) the current 50m freestyle world record holder.
Former world record holder Zoe Baker (Jasi) impressed with her 31.56s heat win in the 50m breaststroke, a commanding half a second inside the qualifying time for Melbourne. She went under that time again by more than 1/10th of a second in the semifinal.
``That felt good. It was a good heat win and good to get the qualifying out of the way,’’ Baker said. ``It was a controlled swim and a pleasing start.
``With the job done this morning tonight was all about relaxing and going faster.’’
Baker said she is on target for her goal of winning gold in Melbourne and claiming back her world record.
North Shore’s Burmester qualified in the 100m butterfly with a time of 53.63, nearly 2/10ths of a second inside the Commonwealth Games time, but clubmate Corney Swanepoel, ranked first in the Commonwealth over the distance, still unable to crack the qualifying mark
North Shore’s Scott Talbot-Cameron qualified in the semifinal of the 100m backstroke in 56.09s, 2/10ths inside the mark for Melbourne.
``I wanted to get it out of the way tonight. Tomorrow is all about winning the title now,’’ Talbot-Cameron.
New Zealand’s leading swimmer Dean Kent made it eight qualifiers in the 400m individual medley clocking 4:22.26, which was nearly one second inside the qualifying mark.
``That was good but it was tough. I am carrying a hip injury and only been training with a pool-buoy for the last week or so I wasn’t expecting too much,’’ Kent said.
Rushton said he was looking for some improvement in some quarters.
``I was looking for some good efforts in the men’s 200m freestyle but they were disappointing. And obviously Corney Swanepoel will be disappointed but he has a further chance tomorrow and in the 50m butterfly later in the meet.
``That aside it was a very encouraging start. It was good to see our experienced swimmers all putting their hands up today and laying down the challenge for the rest of the meet.’’
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