Gisborne swimmers in NZ teams for Pan Pacs, Youth Olympics

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

Gisborne swimmer Matt Scott is to compete for his country at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo next month.

The Enterprise Cars Swim Team member is one of five selected by Swimming New Zealand following the New Zealand Open championships in Auckland last week.

Scott will contest the men’s 10-kilometre open water race.

He is joined in the New Zealand team by Lewis Clareburt (Captial swim club), Daniel Hunter (Howick Pakuranga), Emma Robertson (Capital) and Charlotte Webby (Aquabladz).

Another Gisborne swimmer, Michael Pickett, is one of four nominated to the New Zealand Olympic committee for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October.

Seventeen athletes achieved qualification times for the Youth Olympics but under the representation rules, New Zealand can only be represented by two females and two males.

The others nominated are Gina Galloway (Neptune), Erika Fairweather (United) and Zac Reid (Aquabladz).

Pickett, currently schooling at Brisbane’s St Peters Lutheran College and competing for North Shore when in New Zealand, was also among the 18 young swimmers who achieved selection times for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Suva next month.

Meanwhile, Pickett ended the New Zealand Open championships with another personal best and New Zealand 15 years boys’ age group record last week.

Pickett was second to Hunter in the blue ribbon men’s 100 metres freestyle. Hunter, 24, clocked 50.01 while Pickett touched the wall in 50.61, slashing 0.60 off the record he already held.

Scott was fifth in the 1500m in 16min 35.50secs.