Fifth NZ title to Finau, HBPB record to Amor-Bendall

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A Hawke's Bay Poverty Bay record and another gold medal highlighted the Gisborne effort at the national age group swimming championships in Auckland yesterday.

The champs, however, appear over for Gisborne young gun Michael Pickett, who suffered a broken finger in his 15 years boys’ 50 metres butterfly gold medal-winning swim on Wednesday night.

Enterprise Cars Swim Team member Tyler Finau collected her fifth title of the meeting last night with victory in the 12-13 years girls’ 200m freestyle in a time of 2 minutes 9.11 seconds.

Comet Swimming Club’s Imogen Amor-Bendall set a HBPB record in finishing fifth in the 12-13yrs girls’ 50m butterfly final.

Bendall’s time of 30.18secs slashed over 0.70secs off the 12yrs girls HBPB record. Finau, 13, was seventh in 30.23.

Emily Horne (Ent) was fifth in the 14yrs girls’ 50m fly final in 30.09secs.

Jack Keepa (Ent) was eighth in in two finals in the 14yrs boys’ age group — 400m individual medley in 5.11.21 and the 100m breaststroke in 1.15.41.

In an incident reminscent of Commonwealth Games para swimming star Sophie Pascoe, Pickett smashed his hand into the wall when finishing his race.

His father Fletcher Pickett told The Herald he had broken his finger and while his son was hopeful of competing in the final day of the champs tomorrow, it was highly unlikely.

Pickett, now schooling in Australia and racing for the North Shore club when back in New Zealand, is also in doubt for the Australian age group nationals, which run from April 21 to 28 in Sydney.