Swimming: Team most successful since 1994

Swimming's Jan Cameron is the easy coach to spot in the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team these days - she's the one wearing a huge smile.

New Zealand wrapped up its Melbourne campaign in the pool last night with six medals, two Games records and 10 New Zealand records.

It won't end there, Cameron told NZPA.

"We're not going to stop until we get on the Olympic podium," she said.

The performance of the swim team was stellar against a backdrop of New Zealand disappointment as they won a gold, a silver and four bronze medals.

In Manchester in 2002 the swimmers won two medals, when they finished last night they had six of the 16 New Zealand medals won in Melbourne.

Four years ago they made 12 finals and broke three New Zealand records, this time the figures were 25 finals and 10 records.

Butterfly swimmer Moss Burmester won the first New Zealand gold in Melbourne, taking the 200 metre butterfly in a Games record. He also won bronze in the 100m butterfly final.

Dean Kent won silver in the 200m individual medley, and broke his own New Zealand record in that race, and in the 400m medley.

Hannah McLean won bronze in the 200m backstroke, and was fourth in the 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 4 x 100m freestyle relay and 4 x 100m medley relay.

She featured in four of the seven fourth placings the team notched up.

"I am absolutely fed up with fourth -- I will try to do something about that (at the world short course championships) in Shanghai," she told NZPA last night.

Her opening one minute 00.83sec 100m backstroke in last night's 4 x 100m medley relay was a Games record, breaking the mark set by Australia Sophie Edington in the final on Saturday night, a race in which McLean was fourth.

McLean said it was fantastic to clock such a good time. She had felt more relaxed than she was for the 100m backstroke final.

"Knowing that I was right to believe I could do that time is huge for me," she said.

McLean also broke the New Zealand 50m backstroke record at the Games.

Cameron Gibson grabbed a surprise bronze in the 200m backstroke, with the other bronze going to women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay team Lauren Boyle, Alison Fitch, Helen Norfolk and Melissa Ingram.

The medal haul was the best for swimming since 1994 in Victoria, where eight medals were won -- one gold, six silvers and a bronze. That team contained swimmers of the ilk of Danyon Loader, who went on to win at the 1996 Olympic Games, Anna Simcic and Trent Bray.

Cameron was relaxed and chatty after the meet ended last night.

"They've all done a great job," Cameron said of the squad.

"Moss Burmester's gold was a tremendous highlight but to win six medals is like fantastic. We've definitely moved up the ladder significantly and it's just so exciting to know that we've kept on moving, kept on moving."

Cameron said the swimmers would leave for the world short course championships in a few days determined to do well there.

"They've all done the work and they're our very, very best swimmers. Sometimes -- because they're human -- they don't put the best race together, as well as they might. There's always next time."

Cameron said team construction and building had pushed the squad to another level since Manchester.

Sparc, the New Zealand Academy of Sport and Prime Minister's scholarships had meant swimmers could study and swim, and they had better conditions in which to train.

Cameron was certain she could keep the squad together until Beijing, although Fitch last night indicated that her days at the top could be numbered after swimming internationally since 1995.

"They are so switched on and happy and positive, they'll go on," Cameron said.

"I know that if they get enough support financially that will enable them to go on, and I think that is coming. Most of the swimmers are away from their peak, and they can keep on getting better, and better and better."

New Zealand wrapped up its campaign last night with fourth in the 4 x 100m women's medley -- McLean, Annabelle Carey, Elizabeth Coster, and Fitch -- and fifth in the same race for the men, with Scott Talbot-Cameron, Glenn Snyders, Burmester and Gibson.

Both relays set New Zealand records.

Helen Norfolk was fifth in the 400m individual medley, after turning into the final 50m only .01sec behind third.

Norfolk was disappointed and frustrated she could not reproduce her best form in Melbourne.

"I'm probably the best freestyler in that whole field and I still can't quite get it going," Norfolk said.

"I really did think I was going to swim a lot faster today so I am a little disappointed."

The last length "I just felt like ... crap", she said.

Norfolk was disappointed with the whole Games meet, saying she had expected better times, and a medal.

Even her 4 x 200m freestyle relay bronze left a bitter sweet taste.

"I just wanted to walk around the pool again, like we did the other night, that was so much fun, but not this time."

- NZPA