Wiegersma, Snyders Swim to Gold in Sydney Championships

New Zealand swimmers Natalie Wiegersma AND Glenn Snyders grabbed gold on the opening night of finals at the New South Wales Championships in Sydney last night.

Snyders (North Shore) won the men’s 50m breaststroke and Wiegersma (Waverley, Southland) took out the final of the women’s 400m individual medley at the Sydney Aquatic Centre at Olympic Park.

North Shore’s Melissa Ingram joined them on the podium with a bronze in the final of the women’s 200m backstroke with five other kiwi swimmers making A finals.

Wiegersma, in her first major meet since the Commonwealth Games, also headed the qualifiers in the 400m individual medley in 4:48.95. She produced a superb effort in the final to overcome the early lead of Delhi silver medallist Samantha Hamill on the breaststroke leg and determinedly held off the world record holder Stephanie Rice who finished strongly.
 

Wiegersma, coached by Jeremy Duncan, clocked an encouraging 4:40.16, only a second outside the New Zealand record and more than a second clear of Rice with Hamill a further second back.

It was some compensation for the 21 year old who was forced to withdraw from the final at the Commonwealth Games with illness.

Snyders, coached by Mark Regan at Swimming New Zealand’s High Performance Centre, topped the qualifying in the morning in a slick 27.94, only 25/100ths of a second outside his own national record. He dominated the final winning in 28.27s, nearly a second clear of the field.

Ingram, coached by Scott Talbot at the HPC, was third fastest in qualifying in the 200m backstroke before placing third in the final in a solid 2:11.74 behind Australians Belinda Hocking and Megan Nay, while North Shore teammate Jessie Blundell was sixth in 2:15.52.

Daniel Bell just missed out on the medals in the 50m backstroke, finishing fourth in 25.97, which was 7/10ths outside his own national record and half a second behind winner Ashley Delaney, with Wellington’s John Gatfield (Capital) ninth.

The Commonwealth Games relay medallists Amaka Gessler and Tash Hind finished eighth and ninth respectively in the final of the women’s 100m freestyle in solid swims.

The meet, which continues until Monday, is the start of the competition phase building towards the State Insurance World Championship Trials in Auckland in April.

New Zealand results, day 1 finals:
Men’s 50m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders (North Shore HPC) 27.67, 1; James Stacey (AUS) 29.05, Joshua Palmer (AUS) 29.31, 3. Also: Luke Westergaard (Roskill) 29.89, 6.
Women’s 400m individual medley: Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley) 4:40.16, 1; Stephanie rice (AUS) 4:41.46, 2; Samantha Hamill (AUS) 4:42.77, 3.
Women’s 200m backstroke: Belinda Hocking (AUS) 2:07.75, 1; Megan Nay (AUS) 2:08.84, 2; Melissa Ingram (North Shore HPC) 2:11.74, 3. Also: Jessie Blundell (North Shore HPC) 2:15.52, 6.
Women’s 100m freestyle: Merindah Dingjan (AUS) 55.37, 1; Angie Bainbridge (AUS) 55.37, 2; Kelly Stubbins (AUS) 55.61, 3. Also: Amaka Gessler (Aquagym HPC) 56.55, 8; Tash Hind (Capital HPC) 56.59, 9.
Men 50m backstroke: Ashley Delaney (AUS) 25.44, 1; Daniel Arnamnart (AUS) 25.71, 2; Hayden Stoeckel (AUS) 25.89, 3. Also: Daniel Bell (North Shore HPC) 25.97, 4; John Gatfield (Capital) 27.30, 9.

Full details: www.swimmingnz.org.nz