FINA World Short Course Swim Championships – NZ Day 4 Wrap
FINA World Short Course Swim Championships – NZ Day 4 Wrap
Five New Zealand records fell on the fourth day of the FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester today.
The 26 year old Helen Norfolk smashed her own record twice finishing sixth in the final of the 200m individual medley in another outstanding display.
Teenager Hayley Palmer, who spent nine years living in England, returned there in style to break the 50m freestyle mark twice but could not advance to the finals while fellow North Shore swimmer Glenn Snyders grabbed another record in the 50m breaststroke but was edged out by a fingertip from a spot in the final.
Norfolk was only New Zealander to qualify for a final today after finishing fifth fastest in the morning heats of the 200m individual medley. Her time of 2:10.73 was nearly two seconds off her previous New Zealand record set at the Sydney World Cup in 2005.
She lowered that again by a further half a second in the final, finishing sixth behind the super-hot Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) who bagged yet another world record of 2:06.13.
Norfolk has broken New Zealand records in every swim at the championships – the 200m and 400m medley and 400m freestyle – and still has the 200m freestyle on the final day tomorrow to complete a busy but brilliant week.
Palmer, 18, qualified 10th fastest in the heats of the 50m freestyle, with her time of 25.06 earning her the national record, 15/100ths under the previous mark set by Nichola Chellingworth at the Melbourne World Cup in 2004.
The North Shore swimmer, coached by Scott Talbot-Cameron, reduced the record to 25.05 in the semifinals tonight to be 11th fastest, missing out on the final by 3/10ths of a second.
Snyders continued his excellent championship to qualify seventh fastest in the heats of the 50m breaststroke. His time of 27.21 broke the 1995 record of 27.31 held by Paul Kent and now means that Snyders owns all three national short course breaststroke records.
He was a fraction slower in the semifinal tonight with his time of 27.26 the 11th fastest, just 6/100th of a second off qualifying for the finals with only 8/10ths of a second covering the entire field for both semifinals.
In other swims Liz Coster was 11th fastest in heats of the 50m backstroke but was fractionally slower in the semifinal to miss out on a place in the final.
Dean Kent and Daniel Bell also made it through the heats of the 100m individual medley but missed out qualifying from the semifinals, while Cameron Gibson and Robert Voss did not advance from the heats of the 100m freestyle.
The final day of competition will see Daniel bell (West Auckland Aquatics) in the 200m backstroke, Moss Burmester and Andrew McMillan in the 200m butterfly, Norfolk and Melissa Ingram in the 200m freestyle and the New Zealand team (Bell, Corney Swanepoel, Snyders and Cameron Gibson) in the 4x100m medley relay.
New Zealand results, day 4:
Heats:
50m backstroke: Liz Coster 27.93, 11th
100m freestyle: Cameron Gibson 48.97, 24th; Robert Voss 50.69, 40th.
100m individual medley: Dean Kent 54.59, 8th; Daniel Bell 54.90, 10th.
50m freestyle: Hayley Palmer 25.06, 10th (NZ record).
200m individual medley: Helen Norfolk 2:10.73, 5th (NZ record).
50m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders 27.21, 7th (NZ record).
Semifinals:
50m backstroke: Coster 28.01, 10th.
100m individual medley: Bell 54.61, 12th; Kent 54.91, 14th.
50m freestyle: Palmer 25.05, 11th (NZ record).
50m breaststroke: Synders 27.26, 11th.
Final:
200m individual medley: Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) 2:06.13, 1 (World record); Mireia Belmonte (ESP) 2:07.47, 2; Hannah Miley (GBR) 2:08.79, 3. Norfolk (NZL) 2:10.17, 6th (NZ record).
Full results: www.swimminnz.org.nz or www.fina.org
For interviews contact:
Jan Cameron, NZ Coach, Tel +44750 3283204
For further information contact:
Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ Ltd, Tel 0275 613181
