Pickett sets age-group mark

Michael Pickett. File picture

SWIMMING

GISBORNE teenager Michael Pickett has put himself in “development consideration” for the FINA world swimming championships.

Pickett broke his own 16-year boys’ age-group record for the 50 metres freestyle at the national swimming championships on the North Shore this week.

He was second in the open final won by Daniel Hunter (Howick Pakuranga) in 22.27 seconds, which broke the open men’s national record already held by Hunter.

Pickett clocked 22.34s, cutting 0.29s off his heat time (22.63s), which was 0.03s under the age-group record he set in March.

Hunter’s time — 0.04s under the national record dating back to March 2016 — was short of the qualifying time for the FINA world champs.

This meant Pickett’s effort is within “the development consideration” for the worlds in South Korea next month.

Pickett goes to school in Brisbane and competes for the St Peters Western Swim Club in Australia and North Shore in New Zealand.

In May he was named in the New Zealand team for the junior world champs in Budapest in August.

Meanwhile, Enterprise Cars Swim Team member Tyler Finau continued her busy week with more finals over the past two days.

The 15-year-old was seventh (fifth New Zealander) in the A final of the women’s 200m individual medley on Day 3.

She was also third in the B Final of the 100m backstroke.

On Day 4, Finau was third in the B Final of the 200m freestyle and fourth in the B Final of the 50m backstroke.

Gisborne’s Chris Dawson — racing for North Shore — was sixth (fourth New Zealander) in the A Final of the men’s 100m butterfly on Day 3.