State Insurance NZ Short Course Swimming Championships

The world championship trio of Penelope Marshall, Sophia Batchelor and Daniel Bell showed their wares on the opening night of finals at the State Insurance New Zealand short Course Championships in Wellington on Saturday night.

Marshall (HPC North Shore), a finalist at the world championships in Shanghai last week, proved the class of the field to win the 200m freestyle final at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre.

Batchelor (AquaGym, Christchurch) took out the 16 years honours in the 50m butterfly but was fastest of all swimmers in finals as well as winning her age group in the 200m freestyle in the third fastest time overall, and the 100m backstroke.

Bell (HPC North Shore), unable to find his best form at Shanghai, bounced back with a strong performance to win the 100m backstroke. Marshall, a member of the women’s 4x200m freestyle team that finalled at the world championships, won the 200m freestyle final in 1:58.21. She was more than a second clear of Queensland’s Melanie Schlanger with Sam Lucie-Smith (Capital) third.

The Swimming New Zealand High Performance Centre swimmer gained 831 FINA points, the highest tally of all swimmers. Batchelor, 16, coached by Leanne Speechley, competed in her age group  but her time of 26.96 was the fastest of all in the 50m butterfly. The Canterbury swimmer also won her age group in the 200m freestyle in 2:00.20, which would have earned her a bronze medal in the 17 and over category.She also claimed the 16 years title in the 100m backstroke in a slick 1:00.46 with all three swims establishing new national age group records.

Bell, fourth in the 50m butterfly final, showed his class in winning the 100m backstroke in a solid 53.43s after an excellent tussle with Wellington’s John Gatfield.

Emily Thomas (HPC Comet), showed improvement in her comeback from injury to take out the women’s 100m backstroke final in 1:00.08, while Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley, Southland), another leading swimmer out with injury in recent times, also enjoyed a solid opening night.

There were strong performances from the visiting Australian contingent, especially the experienced Queenslander Chris Wright who won both the 50m butterfly and 200m butterfly finals.

The women’s titles in the butterfly finals went to talented North Shore swimmer Samantha Richter (50m butterfly) and Taranaki’s Charlotte Webby (200m butterfly), coached by Sue Southgate, who is building up for the World University Games in China later this month.

There were eight national age group records with three to Sophia Batchelor, as well as an impressive 1:57.71 by 13-year-old Howick Pakuranga’s Hayden Church in the 200m freestyle which took more than two seconds off the previous age group record held by clubmate Corey Main.