Scott does double,Two open-water wins in two days

DOUBLE SUCCESS: Matt Scott in the 10-kilometre national championship race. Pictures by BW Media

GISBORNE swimmer Matt Scott opened the season with double honours in the 2018 New Zealand Open Water Championships in Taupo.

Scott, a member of Enterprise Cars Swim Team and the Swimming New Zealand National Training Centre, successfully defended his open 10-kilometre men’s title on Saturday and won the 5km men’s title yesterday.

“I’m really happy with the win but I didn’t have it all my way out there,” Scott said.

“It got pretty rough in the first couple of laps so I decided I’d had enough and made a move on the third lap.”

His race tactics at the halfway mark proved telling, as Scott pulled away from a lead group of swimmers that also included Michael Mincham (United, Auckland), David Boles (Swim Rotorua, Rotorua), Quinton Hurley (Jasi, Christchurch) and Sebastien Priscott (Waterhole, Auckland).

Scott finished well ahead of the field, in a time of 1 hour 59 minutes 47.54 seconds. Next came David Boles in 2:00:22.82 and Sebastien Priscott in 2:03:06.31.

The open 10km women’s race was much closer, with Stefannie Gillespie (Zenith, Dunedin) taking the win by 0.34 of a second from Kate Dryden (Australia) in a sprint finish.

Gillespie and Dryden pulled away from Mia Pugh (Greerton, Tauranga) and Maiana Flament (New Caledonia) to battle it out stroke for stroke in the final 100 metres.

The female championships were blown wide open by defending champion Charlotte Webby’s late scratching.

Gillespie finished with a time of 2:11:59.22, with Dryden (2:11:59.56) and Pugh (2:12:08.85) taking home the silver and bronze medals.

Gillespie decided not to swim the 5km race to try to conserve her energy.

“I go to Adelaide in a couple of weeks for the Australian Open Water Championships and I learned a lesson last year when I swam both events here and didn’t have anything left in Australia.”

The 5km men’s championship race also came down to the wire with Scott out-touching 2016 champion Boles.

Scott finished with a time of 59:56.86, Boles was second in 59:57.17 and Quinton Hurley was third in 59:57.93.

The New Zealand Championship was the first step for Scott, who hopes to qualify for the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships this year. Scott will also head to the Australia champs, which is also a Pan Pacific qualifier.

The women’s 5km championship race was tight, with 15-year-old Maiana Flament from New Caledonia winning the visitors’ gold medal in 1:05:34.11.

Mia Pugh was the first Kiwi home in 1:05:40.45 to win the NZ championship. The 16-year-old from Bethlehem College in Tauranga also added the NZ Secondary School Open Water 5km and 10km titles to a successful weekend.

The New Zealand Open Water Championships form part of the annual Epic Swim which has attracted over 900 swimmers competing in a range of open water swims from 100m for children to the 17.5km event.

Results —

Men 10km: Matt Scott (Enterprise) 1:59:47.54, 1; David Boles (Rotorua) 2:00:22.82, 2; Sebastien Priscott (Waterhole) 2:03:06.31, 3; Michael Mincham (United) 2:04:00.30, 4; Quinton Hurley (Jasi) 2:04:28.16, 5.

Women 10km: Stefannie Gillespie (Zenith) 2:11:59.34, 1; Kate Dryden (Australia) 2:11:59.56, 2; Mia Pugh 2:12:08.85 (Greerton), 3; Maiana Flament (New Caledonia) 2:12:13.00, 4; Kaitlyn Sosa (Fairfield) 2:18:16.23, 5.

Men 5km: Matt Scott (Enterprise) 59:56.86, 1; David Boles (Rotorua) 59:57.17, 2; Quinton Hurley (Jasi) 59:57.93, 3; Sebastien Priscott (Waterhole) 1:00:00.42, 4; Danyon Hardie (Ace) 1:00:28.58, 5.

Women 5km: Maiana Flament (New Caledonia) 1:05.34.11, 1; Mia Pugh (Greerton) 1:05.40.45, 1 (NZ); Kaitlyn Sosa 1:05:43.85, 2 (NZ); Jacey Cropp (North Shore) 1:05:46.71, 3 (NZ); Alena Kamper (Napier Aquahawks) 1:05:54.27, 4 (NZ); Sierra Thomas 1:07:16.55, 5 (NZ).