Boyle claims victory in Commonwealth Games lead-up swim

Lauren Boyle produced encouraging signs for this month’s Commonwealth Games with victory in the 800m freestyle on the first day of the French Open Championships in Vichy.

Four days after coming down from altitude, Boyle clocked 8:22.93 to win the 800m freestyle in a French Championship record time, the fourth fastest in the world this year.

She showed her toughness to return to the pool eight minutes later to finish fifth in the 200m freestyle final.

Her time was five seconds faster than at the national championships and four seconds off her New Zealand record, which at the time was the fastest in the world.

The New Zealand contingent enjoyed a strong workout, challenged somewhat after their three-week stint at their altitude training camp in Spain, with others having just flown in from Australia.

Matthew Stanley finished third in the final of the 400m freestyle in 3:54.20, behind Canada’s Ryan Cochrane and Australia’s David McKeon, in a preview of their expected clash in Glasgow.

Others to feature in A finals included Tash Hind, who was sixth behind Boyle in the 200m freestyle in 2:01.00; Samantha Lee was seventh in the 100m butterfly in 1:00.54, Laura Quilter placed sixth in the 50m backstroke in 29.73; Dylan Dunlop-Barrett clocked 3:56.25 to finish sixth in the 400m freestyle and Emma Robinson was fifth in the 800m freestyle in 8:43.69.

The team compete in the second day of competition overnight before moving to their final staging camp in Mallorca.

Their competition at Glasgow begins on the first day on 24 July.