Membership

New Zealand picked up eight medals on the opening night of finals at the Oceania Swim Championships in Cairns tonight.  Commonwealth Games medalist Dean Kent led the way with victory in the 400m individual medley.

Robert Voss (North Shore), Lewis Williams (Mt Roskill), Sarah Vettoretti (West Auckland Aquatics) won silver medals along with both relay teams, while Kelly Bentley (Capital) and Katie Bone (Primo Sundevils) earned bronze medals.

Kent, the team captain, was in a class of his own in the 400m medley although he swam it out strongly with a solid performance, winning in 4:25.31.

He and other members of the New Zealand teams to contest next month’s Pan Pacific and World Youth Championships are training through this meet, putting in some solid training miles each morning before the event heats.

Breaststrokers Vettoretti and Bone gained their medals in the same event clocking 33.28 and 33.79s respectively in the 50m final. It was a strong performance for Bone with the Hawkes Bay competitor a late replacement for injured Commonwealth Games representative Annabelle Carey.

Voss, 23, led things off for New Zealand with his silver medal in the 200m freestyle, clocking a slick 1:51.78 for his second placing.

Bentley, most noted as a long distance breaststroker, produced her best medley performance for 12 months, with a strong 5:02.10 for the 400m IM final.

Williams, 21, grabbed his best international effort with a time of 26.68 to finish second in the 50m backstroke with John Zulch (North Shore) and Kurt Bassett (Mt Eden) finished fourth and fifth respectively in the same event.

The Kiwi men’s quartet of Voss, Mark Herring, Williams and Michael Jack finished second in the 4x100m freestyle to Australia in 3:27.94 with the women’s quartet of Lauren Boyle, Joyce Wiegersma, Kirsten Cameron and Penelope Marshall were second to Australia in the 4x200m freestyle relay in 8:34.12.

Swimming New Zealand Director of Coaching Clive Ruston said it was a solid and encouraging start.

“The first day in a new setting is always more difficult. To be fair we are not competing in the best pool here, so that is challenging,” Mr Rushton said. “In fact tonight we found a different pool to warm up in and then bussed to the competition pool.

“That’s not an excuse, just something for them to overcome. Overall it was a good start to the meet. I was impressed by Dean Kent who really led from the front tonight.

“It was great to see Kelly Bentley back to near her best while some of the newcomers put their hands up. That’s what this meet is about.”

There are four nights of competition this week and two days of open water swim racing in Cairns.

Day 1 finals, New Zealand finalists:

200m freestyle: Robert Voss (North Shore) 1:51.78, 2.

200m butterfly: Megan Allan (Aquagym, Chch) 2:20.93, 5.

400m individual medley: Kelly Bentley (Capital) 5:02.10, 3.

400m individual medley: Dean Kent (North Shore) 4:25.31, 1.

50m backstroke: Lewis Williams (Roskill) 26.68, 2; JohnZulch (North Shore) 27.18, 4; Kurt Bassett (Mt Eden) 27.33, 5.

50m breaststroke: Sarah Vettoretti (West Auckland Aquatics) 33.28, 2; Katie Bone (Primo Sundevils, Hawkes Bay) 33.79, 3.

4x100m freestyle men: NZ (Voss, M Herring, Williams, M Jack) 3:27.94, 2.

4x200m freestyle women: NZ (L Boyle, J Wiegersma, K Cameron, P Marshall) 8:34.12, 2.

For further information:

Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianhep@xtra.co.nz