Baker closer to New Zealand status

Zoe Baker hopes to hear at the end of this week if she has been given approval to swim for New Zealand at future internationals competitions.
Baker had a text message from England last week saying a clearance to swim for New Zealand had been granted, but the clearance apparently needs the approval of the full British board.
Baker, 28, has swum for Great Britain and England for the last six years but wants to switch allegiance to New Zealand where she bases herself for most of the year.
She has had New Zealand citizenship for four years.
Clive Rushton, the director of coaching for Swimming New Zealand, said he has asked the British board to expedite the clearance so Baker can swim under the New Zealand banner at two World Cup short-course meetings in Stockholm and Berlin next week. She is due to leave for Europe on Saturday.
"The GB swimming committee have approved the move, but they now have to get the British board to rubber stamp it.
"I'm sure it's a rubber stamp issue but their board don't meet until the end of January which is after the World Cup competitions Zoe wants to swim at."
"We have asked them to email their board to make a decision so we can then forward it to Fina (the international governing body of swimming). We will ask them to expedite the transfer as well so she can swim next week.
"We don't anticipate any problems but there is still that one hurdle to jump over ? the British swimming board," said Rushton today.
"If there is a hiccup with the clearance the only option would be for Zoe to swim for Great Britain in Europe and ask Britain to waive a 12 month standdown period. But we don't want to have to do that. We would prefer to get the clearance," said Rushton.
While Baker will not be swimming for a national team at the World Cups, entries have to be made by national associations.
Baker has set herself a hectic programme for the next six weeks. As well as two World Cups meetings in Europe she will also swim at World Cups in New York and Brazil next month, and in the Japanese short-course nationals at the end of February.
The New Zealand Olympic team and Baker have been invited to attend the Japanese meeting with the hosts picking up all costs.-NZPA