Burmester, Synders Add Second Swims To World Championship Efforts
Olympian Moss Burmester showed there’s more strings to his bow on the second night of finals at the New Zealand Open Swim Championships in Christchurch tonight.
The 27 year old, who finished fourth in the Olympic final in the 200m butterfly, won the men’s 400m freestyle under the world championship qualifying time at the QE2 Leisure Centre.
The meet doubles as the official trial for July’s world championships in Rome with swimmers having to meet the new tough FINA 900 point mark.
His clubmate from Swimming New Zealand’s International Training Centre, Glenn Snyders also qualified for his second world championship swim, going under the mark to win the 200m breaststroke.
The pair along with clubmate Corney Swanepoel secured a trip to Rome last night, to make it five world championship qualifying swims on the first two days of competition.
Burmester, who qualified in the 100m butterfly with training mate Corney Swanepoel last night, powered home in 3:48.75 to go under the qualifying time for the 400m freestyle by nearly two seconds. He was less than a second away from Danyon Loader’s long standing New Zealand record.
Burmester showed the benefit of some recent freestyle training and his strength when he powered home in under 57 seconds in his final 100m.
“I am really stoked with that. I had targeted anything under 3:50 so to go 3:48 if great and I am getting closer to Danyon’s record. I will get a chance to have a go at that at the world championships.
“I wanted to get that qualifying mark. I have been doing more freestyle in training this summer which has helped. It has also meant I’ve been able to break up the normal training and has made things more interesting.
“That’s really pleasing. Now I can concentrate on the 200m butterfly which is still my main event.”
Burmester also dragged West Auckland’s Michael Jack and Rotorua’s Kane Radford home in second and third placings respectively, both recording significant personal bests of nearly four seconds.
Snyders, troubled with a knee injury in winning the 100m breaststroke last night, eased his way to victory in the 200m, coming home in 2:12.95 which was half a second under the qualifying time, although more than a second outside his own national record.
“That was my third best time ever so you have to be pleased with that. To tell the truth I just wanted to go under the qualifying time tonight so that’s great.
“My knee did not trouble me during the swim tonight which was good. I’ve taken some voltaren today to help with the swelling. I wasn’t pushing things too much tonight.
“My best distance is still the 100m though. I enjoy the 200m once I get in to it but right now I think the 100m is my main event. This shows that I’ve got some good endurance though which is pleasing.”
Earlier Beijing Olympic backstroker Melissa Ingram was less than a second outside the world championship time in the 400m freestyle. She won in 4:12.81 from North Shore’s Penelope Marshall who set a personal best of 4:14 and Tash Hind (ITC – Capital).
Southland 19-year-old Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley) claimed the women’s 200m breaststroke in a personal best 2:30.61, only 7/10ths of a second outside the New Zealand record with an impressive performance.
North Shore’s Hayley Palmer took out the 50m freestyle in a personal best 25.46, just 3/100ths of a second off Toni Jeffs’ national record, finishing ahead of clubmate Samantha Richter with talented Canterbury swimmer Amaka Gessler (ITC – Aquagym) in third.
Former titleholder Cameron Gibson (United) reclaimed his crown in the men’s 50m freestyle, showing his experience to roll over the top of pacesetter and fellow Beijing Olympian Orinocco Faamausili-Banse (Laser Mt Eden) in the final 10m.
Gibson edged home in 22.43, which was 17/100ths of a second outside the qualifying mark for the world championships. Faamausili-Banse was second and fellow Olympian William Benson (North Shore ) with only 14/100ths of a second covered the three medallists.
The championships continue until Sunday.