Swimming: Moss smashes Mosse's mark

Moss Burmester

New Zealand's longest standing men's swimming record was broken on the final night of the Commonwealth Games trials in Auckland last night by North Shore swimmer Moss Burmester.

He broke the 18-year-old national mark held by Anthony Mosse in the 200m butterfly with his time of 1min 56.89 sec, nearly four seconds inside the old mark. Clubmate Liz Coster replied with a New Zealand record in the 100m butterfly, sneaking under her own mark by 0.1sec to clock 1min 00.36sec.

But if it was a triumph for Burmester, the meeting was the opposite for the talented Corney Swanepoel. Undoubtedly of world-class ability, Swanepoel's poor form has seen him become a possible non-selection for Melbourne.

In last night's relays, Swanepoel did not beat Burmester's 100m butterfly time but remains a possibility for selection as a relay alternate - as Burmester's will be a busy schedule at Melbourne and Swanepoel could swim a relay leg. Once in the team, Swanepoel could enter individual races if he re-finds his form.

The records highlighted a brilliant final night at the trials, which also double as the national championships, with two more individuals added to the team for Melbourne and seven further qualifying times set. This brings the total to 15 swimmers who have beaten qualifying times, along with four relay teams.

"We said before the championships we were aiming for 12 individuals and three relays, so this overall result is excellent," Swimming New Zealand director of coaching Clive Rushton said. "All our proven performers have stood up and showed the benefits of their international experience. It gives us a strong nucleus of swimmers heading to Melbourne, possibly the strongest all-round squad we have taken to a Commonwealth Games since the 1994 team to Canada."

Burmester has long held Mosse, the former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, as a mentor and has been closing in on his record for the past two years. He was 0.4sec away in the morning heats. In breaking the record, he also dragged Otago's Andrew McMillan through to the Melbourne qualifying mark, clocking 2min 00.72sec.

"That's been a record that I have chased for such a long time. Anthony has been a mentor to me throughout my career," Burmester said. "It is great to finally crack that mark and to get Andrew through as well. My coach Jan Cameron said I can make one call to the USA tomorrow - to speak with Anthony Mosse."

Clubmate Coster continued her impressive form at the championships, qualifying in a third individual event after winning the 100m butterfly final to go with her wins in the 50m butterfly and freestyle finals.

The strength of the North Shore club showed out in a classy final of the women's 200m freestyle where Helen Norfolk dragged herself from third at the 150m mark to win ahead of clubmates Melissa Ingram and Alison Fitch. All three went under the Commonwealth Games qualifying time, adding Ingram to the team.

In other finals, Roskill's Lewis Williams upset titleholder Scott Talbot-Cameron to win the 50m backstroke while Australian Michelle Englesman took out the 50m freestyle ahead of Nichola Chellingworth, who posted another Games qualifying time. North Shore's Cameron Gibson completed a successful meet with victory in the 100m freestyle and clubmate Dean Kent held off another North Shore swimmer Glenn Snyders to win the 100m breaststroke.

Sixteen-year-old Wellington swimmer Kelly Bentley narrowly missed qualifying in the 200m breaststroke final. She produced a gallant display and was still on schedule at the 150m mark, clocking 2min 32.23sec, just 0.8sec outside the mark for Melbourne.

Auckland's Daniel Ryan took out the 1500m freestyle title.

- NZPA