Batchelor smashes records in Trans Tasman swimming test
Talented Christchurch swimmer Sophia Batchelor cast aside self-doubt and sickness to produce a stunning performance in the second test of the Trans Tasman Test series at Mt Maunganui today.
Batchelor, 15, bounced back from what she described as a negative effort in the opening test last night as well as illness to smash the national age record in a powerful performance in winning the 200m backstroke at the Baywave Aquatic Centre.
The six-test series pits two Australian teams and one from New Zealand in the 14-18 years age group with two tests each at Mt Maunganui, Taupo and Masterton.
Australia Gold dominated the opening two tests in Mount Maunganui to lead on 278 points from Australia Gold on 229 and New Zealand on 197.
The kiwis made a stronger start to the second test today with wins to Batchelor, Jeffrey Arona-Tuifana’e and Corey Main among 11 podium placings as well as wins to Arona-Tuifana’e, Main and Natasha Lloyd in the 50m breaststroke skins finals.
Batchelor, from the Aqua Gym club, was the individual star with her superb victory in the 200m backstroke, clocking 2:08.64 to take four seconds off the old mark in a dominant display, after finishing second in the 100m last night.
“I’m pretty pleased. It was a two second PB for me which was great,” Batchelor said. “I doubted myself a little bit because I came second in the 100 back. But this is the Trans Tasman competition and if you doubt yourself then you are not going to do well. You have to give every race all you’ve got.
“So today I got myself into the right zone and swam the race as I wanted to.
“Managing myself and my health is critical after the Oceania Champs a week ago, this series and then in a few weeks the Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii. Unfortunately I am a bit sick, so I’m trying to get on top of it before it gets any worse.”
Batchelor also broke the age group record in the 50m backstroke clocking 28.61s as the lead-off in the medley relay, edging under the previous record by 2/10ths of a second.
Main, 15, from the Howick Pakuranga club, grabbed his first victory of the series in taking out the 100m backstroke in 56.29 to beat off the Australian challenge. He followed this with an exciting dead heat with Robert Gerlach (Gold) in the 50m backstroke skins final.
His clubmate Arona-Tuifana’e continued his winning ways in claiming the 100m breaststroke victory as well as the 50m breaststroke skins final to give him a clean sweep in the two tests. The 15 year old clocked 1:03.30 to win his 100m final with a second back half of the race in a close duel with Australia’s Jack Packard.
His time was a new age group record, taking half a second off the previous mark and he then went under the 29 second barrier for the first time in beating Packard in the 50m breaststroke skins final. His time of 28.77 was also a national record.
Tauranga’s Nathan Capp enjoyed swimming on home turf to grab two second placings in the 800m freestyle and 200m individual medley, with Bianca Rowley from the Coast club in Whangaparaoa finishing second in the 400m medley.
The other national records went to Natasha Lloyd from the Kaiapoi club near Christchurch. Lloyd, who broke the record in the 14 years 100m breaststroke last night, added the 200m record in 2:34.12 and the 50m breaststroke record in 32.26 with two strong performances.
Australia Gold won both tests at Mount Maunganui from their Green team while New Zealand will be looking to build in the next two tests in Taupo on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.