By Dave Crampton, Swimming World Contributor.
Swimming New Zealand has named a small team to contest next month’s Pan Pacific championships in Tokyo from August 9-13. Four years ago, 16 were selected, and 14 in 2010.
That has reduced to five this year.
Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Lewis Clareburt leads the team, after making finals in all his events at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific championships. Emma Robinson, who easily qualified for the 800m and 1500m at this week’s New Zealand Open championships, is the sole female to contest pool events. She returns from the 2010 team.
Clareburt alongside 50m and 100m New Zealand freestyle record holder Daniel Hunter gained automatic selection into the squad after achieving qualification standards on the Gold Coast. Hunter’s 50m freestyle effort of 22.32 dipped under the 22.47 qualifying standard.
Matthew Scott and Charlotte Webby will compete in the men’s and women’s 10km open water race in Tokyo. Webby was also in the 2010 team.
Medley swimmer Bradlee Ashby also achieved the qualification standard at the Commonwealth Games but has withdrawn from the squad due to injury and illness. Coach is Gary Hollywood.
Youth Olympic Team – Photo Courtesy: Simon Watts/www.bwmedia.co.nz
New Zealand also intends to send four athletes to the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in October. Freestylers Erika Fairweather, 14, Michael Pickett, 15 and Zac Reid, all who set multiple age group records at this week’s New Zealand Open championships will be nominated to the New Zealand Olympic Committee, as will backstroker Gina Galloway. The coach will be Sue Southgate.
The Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games are being held from October 6-18, where 32 sports compete over 10 days in the Argentinian capital.
Eighteen athletes, including the four nominated for the Youth Olympics, will attend the Junior Pan Pacific Championships held next month in Fiji, from August 23 -26. Four of them won national titles at this week’s New Zealand open championship in Auckland, with a further six getting silver medals.
Junior Pan Pacs team – Photo Courtesy: Simon Watts/www.bwmedia.co.nz
The team is double the size of the 2016 team.
Zac Reid returns to the Junior Pan Pacific team after having had a standout New Zealand Opens meet, winning the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m national titles, the latter two in national age group record time.
Pan Pacific Championships Team:
Matthew Scott, Charlotte Webby, Daniel Hunter, Lewis Clareburt , Emma Robinson.
Coach: Gary Hollywood.
Junior Pan Pacific Championships Team:
Zac Reid, Michael Pickett, Gina Galloway, Erika Fairweather , Kyla Alexander , Amadika Atkinson, Eve Thomas, Chelsey Edwards, Ciara Smith, Quinton Hurley, Tyron Henry, Greta Agnew , Thomas Watkins ,Gina McCarthy, Hannah Bates, Matthew Holder, Lochlainn O’Connor, Paddy Baylis.
Coaches: Sue Southgate, Lars Humer, Frank Tourelle, Peter Burgon.
Nominated athletes for 2018 Youth Olympic Games:
Gina Galloway, Erika Fairweather, Michael Pickett and Zac Reid.
Head coach and team leader: Sue Southgate.
