Swimming: Kane claims bronze after fierce battle

Rotorua's Kane Radford (pictured) has picked up a bronze medal at the Pan Pacific Championships open water 10km swim in Hawaii. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua open water swimmer Kane Radford has claimed a bronze medal in the Pan Pacific Championships open water 10km swim in Hawaii.

Radford and fellow New Zealand representative Charlotte Webby travelled to Hawaii after their scheduled race in the Gold Coast was cancelled last week, following poor weather.

The elite race was re-scheduled, with the open water event held at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui yesterday.

Radford positioned himself well in the lead pack throughout the six-lap race.

American Andrew Gemmell proved too strong, racing clear to win in 1h 51m 11s. Meanwhile, Radford made a decisive move 200m out from the finish, in a fierce battle with Australians Jarrod Poort and Simon Huitenga.

In a desperate finish, Poort out-touched Radford for the silver medal with Huitenga just behind in fourth.

It was similar in the junior race with American Brendan Casey out-sprinting Canadian Jon McKay for the victory while Kiwi Liam Albery (Wellington) was locked in a battle for the bronze medal.

The Capital club swimmer launched a final attack but was edged by Australian Lachlan Colquhoun in the sprint finish. Albery finished fourth.

In other swims Webby (New Plymouth) was sixth in the elite women's race, with a strong performance in the lead pack throughout to finish only nine seconds from winner Haley Anderson (US), an London Olympic silver medallist.

Ashburton's Grace Sommerville was 122nd in the junior women's 10km race.