Lauren Boyle of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images
Lauren Boyle's stature as an international swimmer keeps growing.
Having won three world championship medals last year, and gold and silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month, she collected the 800m silver medal on the opening night of the Pan Pacific championships on the Gold Coast.
The Auckland
swimmer clocked 8m 18.87s in finishing behind only the marvellous American teenager Katie Ledecky, who streaked clear to win in 8m 11.35s, just .35s off her own world mark.
Boyle was a convincing second, and chuffed about it. The time was just over two seconds faster than her silver medal performance in Glasgow.
"I wanted to try and do better than the Commonwealths and I'm happy to walk away with a slightly faster time," Boyle said.
