BEST OF THE BEST: Joe Hammond (left) and Jacob Smith have been selected in the AllStars line-up for Auckland meet next month. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
BEST OF THE BEST: Joe Hammond (left) and Jacob Smith have been selected in the AllStars line-up for Auckland meet next month. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
Carterton duo Jacob Smith and Joe Hammond will be strutting their stuff against many of the country's top swimmers at Swimming New Zealand's zonal championships in Auckland on February 8.
They are the only Wairarapa representatives in the Allstars line-up selected from clubs in the Wellington and Manawatu regions. Theywill compete against Harlequins (Northland, Auckland and Counties-Manukau), Aqua Knights (Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay) and Makos (Nelson-Marlborough, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago and Southland).
Each team will consist of 20 swimmers in the over-16 year age group and another 20 in the 15 and under and they may swim in three individual events in addition to relays.
The meet format allows for the zonal teams to have two representatives in any one event. First placegetters will earn their team 26 points. Points from second through to eighth will be, in finishing order, 21, 17, 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4.
In addition to these scores each zone will be entitled to allocate up to four "double points" swimmers throughout the competition. They will be restricted to one (junior men, junior women, senior men, senior women) and the points they earn in their nominated individual event will be doubled.
The zonal team with the most points at the end of the meet will be declared the overall winner.
Sky Sport will have coverage from 5pm on race day.
Meanwhile, the Featherston Swimming Club is holding its popular community swim relay on Thursday, February 5. This is a fun night for families, workmates, neighbours and swim groups with each member of four-strong teams being required to swim one length of the pool, first of all in heats and then into handicapped finals.
Each team member will have the opportunity to enter the 25m dash event where the fastest seven will go into a non-handicapped final. Former Olympian Jon Winter holds the record with a time of 12.40s.
