Membership

Showdown looms in final night of Swim NZ Champs

There will be a showdown between the proven and the pretenders on the final night of the New Zealand Summer Swim Championships in Christchurch.

Five swimmers are within half a second of each other for the men’s 100m butterfly where Olympians Corney Swanepoel, the top qualifier, and Moss Burmester face strong challenges of North’s Shore’s Andrew McMillan, Matt Thomas and world junior champion Daniel Bell.

Only 8/10ths of a second separates all 10 finalists for the 50m freestyle where Mark Herring was the top qualifier, but faces a major challenge from his fellow Olympic relay sprinters Cameron Gibson and William Benson, along with Swanepoel and 200m national record holder Michael Jack.

The other major clashes tonight sees Annabelle Carey as top qualifier in the 50m breaststroke, Tash Hind topping heats of the 200m freestyle against the North Shore trio of Hayley Palmer, Penelope Marshall and Melissa Ingram, Natalie Wiegersma and Hind in the 200m individual medley and Australian Daniel Blackborrow against Cameron Stanley, John Zulch and Daniel Bell in the 100m backstroke final.