World Swim Championships – NZ Wrap Day 5 Finals
Veteran Dean Kent went under his old national record for a third time in 36 hours to finish eighth in the final of the 200m individual medley at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Melbourne tonight.
The 28-year-old North Shore swimmer was unable to better his new national mark set in yesterday’s heats, again narrowly missing in his quest to go under the two-minute mark. He clocked 2:00.78 and like his fellow finalist and clubmate Moss Burmester last night, was in the wake of the Herculean Michael Phelps who set yet another world record at the Rod Laver Arena.
Kent, who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games a year ago in a record 2:01.08, has gone 2:00 for all three swims this week.
His strengths have been the backstroke and breaststroke legs with some hard work on his freestyle at an eight–week training camp with the British team on the Gold Coast before Christmas also paying dividends.
“It was another really good swim from Dean. He just made a mistake in the backstroke tonight which cost him a chance to go under two minutes,” head coach Jan Cameron said. “Last year he was a bit frenetic at the Commonwealth Games and so he has tried to be more controlled. But you have to take a risk sometimes and push out of the comfort zone.”
“Having said that it was three swims all better than last year. He is eighth in the world, so he has retained his ranking but gone a second faster. And he is No 1 in the Commonwealth. “We need Dean to continue in our programme because he is a champion and the young ones coming through can learn a lot from him. In each of the last six years he has continued to improve. We will get that two minutes before he finishes.”
Tomorrow is a big day for the New Zealand swimmers with eight individuals and one relay team in action.
It marks the first appearance of three-time world championship medalist Zoe Baker who is joined by Liz Coster in the heats of the 50m butterfly. It’s a chance for Coster to find her best form while it’s a test only for Baker who has won three bronze medals in the 50m breaststroke for Great Britain.
Moss Burmester and North shore clubmate Corney Swanepoel compete in the 100m butterfly with Mark Herring and Cameron Gibson in the 50m freestyle.
Hannah McLean and Melissa Ingram take part in the heats of the 200m backstroke with the New Zealand men’s team in the heats of the 200m freestyle relay.
Results
Final 200m individual medley: Michael Phelps (USA) 1:54.98, 1 (World Record); Ryan Lochte (USA) 1:56.19, 2; Laszio Cseh (HUN) 1:56.92, 3. Dean Kent 2:00.73, 8.
For interviews contact: Mark Saunders, Team Manager, Tel 0061 437 078533
For further information: Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianhep@xtra.co.nz
