Batchelor Stars with Record Effort at Oceania Swim Championships

Christchurch teenager Sophia Batchelor again showed a glimpse of her undoubted potential i winning a gold medal on the penultimate day of competition at the Oceania Championships in Samoa.

The 15 year from the Aqua Gym club took out the final of the women’s 200m backstroke in a New Zealand age group record and in a time bettered this year only by Commonwealth Games-bound Melissa Ingram.

Batchelor was one of 10 medals won by the New Zealand team at the Tuanaimato Aquatic Centre in Apia last night.

She clocked 2:11.94 which took more than four seconds off the old national age group record, held by Ingram for nearly a decade. The time would have given her second placing at the national open championships and only 4/10ths outside the Commonwealth Games qualifying time.

Team-mate Jesse Blundell (North Shore) finished third.

The other gold medal went to US-based Nick Ferrif, his second of the championship, in the 50m breaststroke. He finished behind Auckland-based Amini Fonua, swimming for Tonga at the meet, but as he was unregistered he was not eligible for medals.

Transformed water polo player Luke Westgaard earned the bronze medal.

There were bronze medals for the New Zealanders in the 400m freestyle and 100m butterfly finals. These went to Samantha Lucie-Smith (Karori) and Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (Bell Block) in the 400m freestyle with Samantha Lee (Capital) and Andrew McMillan (North Shore) in the 100m butterfly.

New Zealand combinations also grabbed silver medals behind Australia in the 4x100m freestyle relays.

The championships conclude this evening.

New Zealand finals results, day 5:
50m breaststroke: Amini Fonua (TGA) 28.57, 1; Nick Ferrif (NZL) 28.64, 2; Luke Westgaard (NZL) 29.69, 3.
Women 400m freestyle: Jade Neilsen (AUS) 4:17.44, 1; Tiffany Papaemanouil (AUS) 4:17.61, 2; Samantha Luce-Smith (NZL) 4:20.60, 3.
Men 400m freestyle: Matthew Terry (AUS) 3:53.59, 1; Jarrod Killey (AUS) 3:59.67, 2; Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (NZL) 3:59.99, 3.
Women 100m butterfly: Madeline Groves (AUS) 1:00.11, 1; Amy Smith (AUS) 1:00.88, 2; Samantha Lee (NZL) 1:01.32, 3.
Men 100m butterfly: Ryan Pini (PNG) 53.98, 1; Grant Irvine (AUS) 54.19, 2; Andrew McMillan (NZL) 54.47, 3.
Women 200m backstroke: Sophia Batchelor (NZL) 2:11.94, 1 (NZ Age record); Jenni O’Neil (AUS) 2:12.15, 2; Jessie Blundell (NZL) 2:15.64, 3.
Women 4x100m freestyle relay: Australia 3:47.48, 1; New Zealand A 3:51.10, 2; New Zealand B 3:55.02, 3.
Men 4x100m freestyle relay: Australia 3:23.79, 1; New Zealand 3:30.32, 2; New Caledonia 3:33.22, 3.
Full details: www.swimmingnz.org.nz