Swimming: Rignall powers to two more national records

Olympic swimmer Vivienne Rignall has broken two more New Zealand records as she discovers her best form in the leadup to the Sydney Games in September.

The German-based freestyler set new marks in the 50m and 100m freestyle at the German championships in Berlin.

Rignall swam 25.85s in the 50m, eclipsing the 25.92s which won her Olympic selection and threw Toni Jeffs' Sydney plans into disarray last month.

She also recorded 56.47s in the 100m, clipping 0.25s off Monique Robins' national record.

The effect of the time over the longer distance is that New Zealand's hopes of a 4x100m freestyle relay team have brightened.

A quartet of Robins (best time 56.72s), Rignall (56.47s), Jeffs (57.21s) and Helen Norfolk (58.71s) would be 1.11s outside the standard for a relay team. Norfolk has swum quicker times, but has been concentrating on her medley events this year.

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