Imogen, 12, swims under open qualifying times

It has been a winning year for Imogen Amor-Bendall. She received the Beth Meade Memorial Trophy as club swimmer of the year at the Comet Swimming Club annual prize-giving and also won the award for outstanding female competitor. .

SWIMMING

Imogen Amor-Bendall, at 12 years of age, not only won medals racing girls a year older at the national age-group championships in Auckland, but for the first time she qualified for the New Zealand open championships.

It’s extremely difficult for senior athletes to qualify for the open champs, and near impossible for 12-year-olds.

It was a hugely successful outing for Comet Swim Club member and Campion College student Imogen. She won bronze in the 200-metre butterfly on the first day of the event, taking almost 10 seconds off the club record. Her time was 2 minutes 31.45 seconds.

In the 12-year girls’ 50m butterfly, she set a Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay record, almost a second under the old mark, to finish a strong fifth in 30.18 seconds.

The highlight of the meet for Imogen was an incredible 100m butterfly race in which she broke Tylah Finau’s HBPB record with a time of 1 minute 07.26 seconds to win a silver medal.

Imogen's times for the 50m and 100m butterfly were within the qualification standard for the national open champsHer times for the 50m and 100m butterfly were within the qualification standard for the national open champs.

Attitude is one of Imogen’s greatest assets. She is positive by nature, with an ability to brush aside distractions and focus on what she needs to do to succeed. Imogen has a natural feel for the water, a strong core and impeccable technical timing. She has the drive and quiet competitiveness that swimmers require if they are to go far in a tough sport.

Imogen, daughter of Alison Bendall and Noel Amor, increased her training at the start of the summer season to align with her ambitious goals and it has paid off.

Jamie Joblin narrowly missed out on the males’ 50m breaststroke final. He sliced over a second off his 50m breaststroke personal best and also swam a personal best in his 100m breaststroke.

Holly Fisher swam a personal best time in her 200m backstroke.

For Emma Niven, qualifying for the New Zealand age-group champs was three years of hard work in the making.

It had been a goal of hers since she was 13, and was achieved because of her determination and a few hundred hard sessions which pushed her under the qualifying time in the 200m butterfly.

It was a reward richly deserved.

Individual results —

Imogen Amor-Bendall: bronze 200m butterfly, club record; silver 100m fly, HBPB record; fifth 50m fly, HBPB record.

Holly Fisher: personal best 200m backstroke; 18th 50m back.

Jamie Joblin: 11th 50m breaststroke, personal best; personal best 100m breaststroke.

Emma Niven: First-time qualifier for New Zealand age-group championships.