Batchelor sets mark in Mayfair Pools NZ Age Group Swimming

London Olympic hopeful Sophia Batchelor set the tone with one of four records on the opening night of finals at the Mayfair Pools NZ Age Group Swimming Championships in Wellington last night.

Batchelor, 16, from the AquaGym club in Christchurch, broke Melissa Ingram’s 11 year old record for the 200m backstroke at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre at Kilbirnie.

She clocked 2:13.53 to take nearly a second off the old mark and add to her remarkable haul which stands at 18 current national age group records.

It proved a double success for Auckland’s Gabrielle Fa’amausili who broke a record in the 12 years and under 50m freestyle in the morning heats, and lowered it again in winning the final. Fa’amausili, from the Laser Mt Eden Club, is a cousin of Beijing Olympian Orinoco Fa’amausili-Banse.

She clocked 27.37 as the lead-off in the relay to sneak 0.1 sec off the previous mark set by Howick-Pakuranga’s Paige Schendelaar-Kemp and then reduced it to 27.30 in the relay tonight.

The other record went to Taranaki’s Julian Weir from the Aqua Bladz club who clocked 26.78 in winning the 16 years 50m backstroke, which clipped 0.3s off the 15 year old record set by Ross Dunwoody.

The championships have attracted a record 656 swimmers.