Swimming: NZ relay teams all fail to get through

8.00am - By DANIEL GILHOOLY

ATHENS - New Zealand swimming coach Jan Cameron has defended the decision to field three relay teams at the Olympic Games, even though none advanced beyond their heats.

In an undistinguished end to New Zealand's involvement at the Olympic Aquatic Centre today, the men's and women's 4x100m medley teams failed to advance through their heats and Moss Burmester ranked 28th out of 35 in the men's 1500m freestyle, a secondary event for the butterfly specialist.

Along with the women's 4x200m relay earlier in the week, all three New Zealand relay teams couldn't match the times they produced to qualify for these Games.

The relay squads were late additions to the New Zealand team following confirmation of world rankings. The acceptance into the team allowed five of those seven relay swimmers -- Ben Labowitch, Annabelle Carey, Elizabeth Coster, Alison Fitch and Rebecca Linton to also contest individual events but none went further than their heats.

Cameron said the relay squads did well simply to qualify for Athens and their selection should be encouraged at all major swim meets.

"That provides us with a core of swimmers that we need to build on for the next big events," Cameron told NZPA.

"We need to get a couple more (relay teams) in even. Then they can get the necessary experience and do their jobs in the individual events.

"Getting selection via the relays is the best idea because how is a 15-year-old breaststroker such as Annabelle Carey going to get her experience?"

Cameron said the relays here were of an extremely high standard, shown by Australia's failure to reach the men's medley final.

"We were never going to go over America, China, Japan, Australia, Britain. You're kidding yourself really," she said.

"There are 150 nations here and we were in the top 16. People have to realise how extraordinary that is.

"You're not likely to jump from a ranking of 15th into a final, that's pretty, how shall I say, New Zealandish (thinking)."

Cameron was delighted overall with New Zealand's performance in the pool, pointing out that only one swimmer had reached the top 16 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics -- German-based sprinter Vivienne Rignall.

This time there were four individuals -- Burmester, backstroker Hannah McLean and medley swimmers Helen Norfolk and Dean Kent. Also, the three relay teams qualified in the top 16.

The women's relay team of Hannah McLean (backstroke), Carey (breaststroke), Coster (butterfly) and Fitch (freestyle) were 13th quickest in 4min 10.37sec.

The men were 11th, the team of Scott Talbot-Cameron (backstroke), Labowitch (breaststroke), Corney Swanepoel (butterfly) and Cameron Gibson (freestyle) timed at 3min 42.74sec.

Burmester was disappointed his 1500m time of 15min 56.42sec was 12sec outside his personal best.

He was hampered by a large chunk of black tape on his big toe after having cut himself the previous night while rushing to board a full bus.

A multiple winner of the New Zealand open water distance title, he didn't view a 1500m success as a long-term target. He had become reasonably good at it simply by doing so much distance work at training.

"And if you get the opportunity to swim it at the Olympics, you have to take it," he said.

Burmester, Kent and canoeist Steven Ferguson will stay in Europe after the Games to attend the world surf lifesaving championships in Italy.

NZPA