Swimming: Body-suited Bray misses 50m mark

By PETER JESSUP

Trent Bray is the first New Zealander to follow the lead of Australian swimming superstars, donning a full-length body-suit last night as he aimed for Olympic qualifying marks at the national championships in Auckland.

The suit was delivered by adidas only yesterday after Bray approached them to level the playing field in his first lap in lycra in the 50m men's freestyle final at the Waitakere Aquatic Centre.

Bray did not have the best start, but was pulling in winner Brad Herring before the time board came up a metre too soon for him. Herring won in 23.74s, followed by Bray in 23.89s and Scott Cameron 24.16s.

The Olympic qualifying mark is 22.90s.

The beleaguered Bray believed he had won and was disappointed when corrected times came up, but said it was still a good performance under trying circumstances.

"I didn't think I'd go that quick," he said. "I came here unaware of what I'd do."

His preparation had been disrupted by the drugs charge he has faced.

"It's a difficult time and I just have to go in with an open mind."

He would have been pleased also with the loudest clap and cheer of the night when he was introduced before the race.

The suit felt really good, he said.

"I popped up a bit after the dive which felt a bit unusual, so no doubt there's improvement to be made as I get used to it."

The all-black stretch suit is an early version, not the Speedodesigned "shark skins" the Australians have just unveiled.

"If everyone else is using them it's time for us to step up, too," Bray said.

He did not enter his best event, the 200m, because he had not done the work, but the swim last night would keep him firmly in the selection frame.

Backstroker Scott Talbot-Cameron claimed his second Olympic qualifying mark, in the opening leg of the 4x100m medley relay, when he swam 58.71s, more than a second inside the Fina B Olympic qualifying time.

He had earlier qualified at the Pan Pacific championships in Sydney in the 200m.

No one else bettered qualifying marks but national coach Brett Naylor was pleased with the performance of Nicholas Sheeran in the 200m butterfly, his 2m 02.69s being just 1.69s outside, and with the result of the women's 100m backstroke, where 200m Games qualifier Nikki Tanner was beaten into third by Hannah McLean and Monique Robins, with all three within a second of the 1m 03.55s needed.

North Shore 16-year-old Robins broke the national record for the 50m butterfly with her time of 27.94s beating an 11-year-old mark set by Michelle Burke by 0.35s, but the event is not an Olympic one.