Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Lewis Clareburt storms into 200m Individual Medley semifinals with New Zealand record

Kris Shannon
By Kris Shannon
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
28 Jul, 2021 12:20 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Lewis Clareburt set another New Zealand record. Photo / Getty

Lewis Clareburt set another New Zealand record. Photo / Getty

Lewis Clareburt produced a spectacular freestyle leg to power into the semifinals of the 200m individual medley with another national record.

The 22-year-old stopped the clock at 1:57.27 to be the third-fastest qualifier out of tonight's heats, shaking off a slow start to once more raise eyebrows at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre.

Just four days removed from an outstanding Olympic debut, when Clareburt won his 400m individual medley heat in a national-record time, the Kiwi showed no signs of an emotional hangover.

His search for New Zealand's first swimming medal since 1996 eventually came up empty after a seventh-place finish in the 400m final, but Clareburt might just get another shot yet.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

That's no guarantee - the Wellington swimmer rates the shorter distance as a distant second in his personal preference. But that rating was far from obvious during tonight's heat.

In a race paced by American favourite Michael Andrew - who flirted with the world record - Clareburt was slow out of the blocks and touched last after the first leg, moving up one place by the halfway point.

A solid breaststroke put the Kiwi back in touch with those trailing in Andrew's wake before Clareburt found an extra gear on the final freestyle leg to reach the wall third, 0.87s behind Andrew and 0.62s inside his personal best.

That position was the same he would occupy in the top 16 that advanced to tomorrow afternoon's semifinals, a smooth passage for a sleek swimmer.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Clareburt will have to overcome the "morning blues" he blamed for an underwhelming effort in the 400m final on Sunday - the semifinals will again be early in the day in Tokyo.

But that seems about the only thing that can stop New Zealand swimming's newest star.

Unfortunately, the news wasn't quite so pleasing for this country's other bright light in the pool at these Games.

Erika Fairweather, who on Sunday qualified fourth the 400m freestyle final, was unable to inspire the Kiwi team in their 4x200m freestyle relay.

Discover more

Olympics

All you need to know: NZ's big gold medal favourites today

28 Jul 05:00 PM

Fairweather, Eve Thomas, Ali Galyer and Carina Doyle finished sixth in their heat with a time of 8:06.16, more than 21 seconds behind winners Australia as they failed to make the final.

New Zealand were in a promising position after Fairweather touched third having led off the relay, but soon slipped well of the pace to conclude the 17-year-old's first Games.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

Kea Kids News: The small rugby player making big moves

Watch
Rotorua Daily Post

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

Sport

Waikato boxers off to Australia for Commonwealth Games qualifier


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Kea Kids News: The small rugby player making big moves
Rotorua Daily Post

Kea Kids News: The small rugby player making big moves

One to watch! Reporter Ollie is in Rotorua, where 12-year-old Kyro’s physical size is no match for his talent, tenacity, and dedication on the rugby field. Video / Kea Kids News

Watch
14 Jul 11:26 PM
Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought
Rotorua Daily Post

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

14 Jul 05:17 AM
Waikato boxers off to Australia for Commonwealth Games qualifier
Sport

Waikato boxers off to Australia for Commonwealth Games qualifier

14 Jul 02:21 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP