Hawke’s Bay age group swim success leads to national squad selection

Caleb Carlisle, 17, of the Greendale Swim Club was one of 10 age group swimmers selected to attend the the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. Photo Karl Wairama.

A young swimmer from Hawke’s Bay broke two long-standing regional records on his way to qualifying to represent the nation in Trinidad and Tobago.

Caleb Carlisle of Greendale Swim Club was one of 10 swimmers selected from the 2023 Apollo Projects NZ Age Group Swimming Championships to attend the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago as part of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

The 17-year-old was selected based on a qualifying time of 55.24 seconds he set in the 100-metre butterfly finals at the Age Group Swimming Championships.

Carlisle won three gold medals at the event, one from the 100-metre butterfly, one from the 50-metre butterfly with a time of 24.91 seconds and one from the 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 29.40 seconds.

His 100 metre butterfly time broke a Hawke’s Bay Poverty Bay (HBPB) swim record that had stood for 18 years, while his 50 metre breaststroke time broke an HBPB record that had stood for six years.

Carlisle said it will be his first time travelling overseas to represent New Zealand.

“There was always the goal to get it and it was really exciting to realise I had finally got the time after all the hard work you put in.”

He has been swimming since he was about 12 years old and competing in national events since 13.

“Since then I kind of enjoyed the whole atmosphere and I always wanted to try and be the best.”

Other successful swimmers from Hawke’s Bay included Lola Nicholls of the Aquahawks swim club and Lucas Perceval of Central Hawke’s Bay Swim Club.

Nicholls won two silvers, one in the 100-metre butterfly with a time of 1 minute and 7.18 seconds and one in the 200-metre butterfly with a time of 2 minutes and 31.36 seconds, plus bronze in the 50-metre butterfly with a time of 30.19 seconds.

Perceval won bronze in the 100-metre butterfly with a time of 1 minute and 0.37 seconds.

The 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games will be held from August 4 to 11.