Swanepoel sparks Kiwis at World University Games
Corney Swanepoel (pictured) led the New Zealand swim team to their best session on the fourth day of competition in the pool at the World University Games in Bangkok.
Swanepoel, 21, was second fastest qualifier in the heats of the 100m butterfly at the Thammasat University Aquatic Centre.
He will be joined by Millennium Institute High Performance team-mate Moss Burmester who was eighth fastest.
Also through is another North Shore swimmer Liz Coster, who like Burmester has qualified her second A final, and will contest the 100m backstroke.
Swanepoel won his heat of the 100m butterfly in 53.30, which was 7/10ths of a second outside his New Zealand record. Only Canada’s Darryl Rudolf went quicker which will see Swanepoel line up in the middle of the pool in the final late tonight (NZ time).
Burmester, who disappointed when he faded to fifth in his favoured 200m butterfly, also won his heat in 53.72 to give New Zealand two starters in the final.
Coster continued her strong form at the meet to clock 1:02.68 in the 100m backstroke to grab the final qualifying spot while club-mate Melissa Ingram was just 15/100ths of a second slower and will contest the B final.
North Shore’s Robert Voss will also swim a B final tonight after finishing 16th fastest in the 400m freestyle.
In other racing John Zulch and Cameron Stanley, both North Shore, were 36th and 44th fastest respectively in heats of the 100m backstroke and Helen Norfolk was a disappointing 29th fastest in the 200m freestyle.
The men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team also missed out after they were disqualified in the third and fastest heat.
The New Zealand team comprises 73 athletes from nine different sports. With over 10,000 competitors and officials from 170 nations competing in 17 sports, the World University Games are the second largest global multi-sports event after the Summer Olympics.
NZ results, day 4 heats:
Men:
400m freestyle: Robert Voss 3:58.98, 16.
100m butterfly: Corney Swanepoel 53.30, 2; Moss Burmester 53.72, 8.
100m backstroke: John Zulch 57.50, 26; Cameron Stanley 1:00.15, 44.
4x200m freestyle relay: NZL dsq.
Women:
100m backstroke: Liz Coster 1:02.68, 8; Melissa Ingram 1:02.83, 10.
200m freestyle: Helen Norfolk 2:05.40, 29.
