Olympic hopefuls come out on top at Mount

The penultimate round of the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series took place on the Main Beach, Mount Maunganui this morning with over 1,050 registered swimmers taking the plunge across multiple distances.
 
Taking home the top positions on the day for the 2.6km event were Nathan Capp and Charlotte Webby, who swam the distance in 27.56 minutes and 30.23 minutes respectively.
 
Other top performers in the 2.6km ‘I’m Going Long’ swim included Phillip Ryan, Stefannie Gillespie, Michael Sheil and Penny Hayes, who finished second and third in their male and female age groups, respectively.
 
It was a great start in the race for multi NZ record holder and an Olympic hopeful, Nathan Capp. Though Nathan managed to retain his lead on Phillip Ryan throughout the swim, it was a very close finish between the two, with Nathan pipping Ryan at the post by just 6 seconds.
 
Charlotte Webby on the other hand, had her own way the entire race, finishing a whole minute before her contemporaries. This was not too much of a surprise for this Olympic hopeful, who is travelling to Portugal later this year for her final opportunity to qualify for Rio.

NZ Ocean Swim legend, 85 year old Sid Salek was also on hand to fire the gun at the starting line for the 2.6km swim. Sid has been part of the series for years and continues to be an incredible role model for swimmers of all ages, with the momentous reaction from the crowd being a testament to that.
 

2.6km female champion, Charlotte Webby crossing the finish line at the Sand to Surf. Photo © Cameron Walker
 
The participants were very lucky regarding the weather conditions at the Mount, which were absolutely stunning, with cloudless sky and minimal surf for the enthusiastic swimmers.
 
New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, Event Organiser, Scott Rice, says; “Congratulations to both Nathan Capp and Charlotte Webby on their outstanding wins today. I wish them both the best of luck for their future swimming careers and hope to see them again next season.”
 
“We continue to be lucky with the weather this series and it’s great to see so many participants turn out in force for the swim. It was also very special to have Sid on hand to start our 2.6km race.”
 
This event will be the sixth in this much loved series of seven events, which caters for swimmers of all skill sets and offers an opportunity for recreational swimmers to take the plunge with some top name swimming elites.
 
Other distances at the event included; the 300m ‘Give it A Go’ distance, the 1km ‘Step It Up’ distance, and for youngsters (under 14 years of age) the 200m ‘OceanKids’ event.
 

Eager participants turn out in force for the penultimate event in the NZ Ocean Swim Series; the Sand to Surf at Mount Maunganui. Photo © Cameron Walker

Today also marked the announcement of the six newest members in the Jetstar Super Swim Squad. This special squad is made up of the talented youngsters (aged 7-13 yrs) who win their age group in the OceanKids 200m events from throughout the season and involves attendance at an end of season training camp in Auckland with top NZ swimmers and coaches.
 
New Squad members include Tyler Tapper (Matamata), Sophie Spencer (Auckland), Michael Lansdown (Hastings), Janaye Burns (Auckland), Henry Scholes (Tauranga) and Renee Carey (Tauranga).
 
The final event of the series and last chance to be involved in the annual New Zealand Ocean Swim Series is the King of the Bays Swim in Auckland, on Saturday the 2nd of April.
 
The charity partner for the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series is Surf Life Saving New Zealand.
 
For more information or to register for this popular series, visit www.oceanswim.co.nz