NZ award sweetens nasty sickness bout

OPEN WATER SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Gisborne’s Matt Scott with the open water trophy he won at the Swimming New Zealand Awards in Takapuna on Saturday. Picture by Simon Watts/BW Media

Gisborne's Matt Scott says being named Open Water Swimmer of the Year at the Swimming New Zealand Awards was “something nice to come home to” after suffering a nasty bout of vomiting, including blood following a race in Portugal last month.

Half the field got sick after the 10-kilometre race, which was race 3 of the Marathon Swim World Series.

“Some Italian swimmers were taken straight to hospital,” said Swimming NZ high performance squad member Scott, who placed 42nd in the race.

At first, food poisoning was suspected.

“But then half the field started vomiting and we all realised it must have been something in the water.”

Scott started feeling crook about an hour before catching a flight to Hungary for race 4 of the series.

“It was a five-hour flight and five minutes into the flight I started vomiting.

“There were two other Kiwis with me and they were doubling up with the sick bags as I couldn’t stop vomiting, which wasn’t good for the other passengers.”

Auckland-based Scott, who is doing a degree in construction management through Massey University, was met by an ambulance crew at the airport.

“They gave me anti-nausea pills and I started to feel good for about an hour after I got to the hotel. Then I started vomiting again and lost my appetite for four days, which left me three days to recover for the race.

“That wasn’t enough time so I pulled out, which was disappointing but the right thing to do.

“Mum and Dad (at home in Gisborne) were upset. They wanted to help but couldn’t. They felt helpless and I don’t mind admitting that it was scary,” said Scott.

“I never did find out what caused the vomiting but I’m glad it’s over.”

The good news for Scott and his parents is he has fully recovered and is preparing to compete for New Zealand at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Tokyo next month.

The 20-year-old is one of five New Zealanders taking part, with Scott contesting the men’s 10-kilometre open water race.

“I’ve been doing some really hard training blocks preparing for the Pan Pacs,” said Scott, whose long term goal is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I’m not sure how strong the field will be as countries are allowed to enter as many swimmers as they want.

“But I know a lot of the swimmers who were in Portugal will be there. It will be good to catch up with them to see how they got on.

“We leave on August 6 and race on August 14.

“Going to the awards was a great evening and it’s always nice to come away with an award.”

The trophy recognised Scott’s successful year that included retaining the national 10km open water title and adding the 5km crown to his collection.

And at last week’s New Zealand Open swimming champs, Scott, competing for Enterprise Cars Swim Team, was fifth in the men’s 1500m freestyle final.

His race came immediately after Scott completed two three-kilometre time trials.

Subsequently, his 1500 time was well below his personal best but on par with how he would have finished a 10km race.

Another Gisborne swimmer, Michael Pickett, was one of four Zonal Emerging Swimmer of the Year winners and a finalist for overall emerging swimmer, won by New Plymouth’s Zac Reid.