Swimming: Duo break through for world champs spots

It proved to be a breakthrough night for Auckland freestylers Andrew McMillan and Michael Jack, who earned tickets to the world championships on the third night of the New Zealand Open swimming championships in Christchurch last night.

North Shore's McMillan out-touched Jack of West Auckland Aquatics to win the 200m freestyle with both going under the qualifying time for July's world championships in Rome.

As well, Corney Swanepoel and Glenn Snyders added to their schedule for Rome, beating the marks in the 50m butterfly and 50m breaststroke respectively.

After missing out on qualifying for last year's Olympics, McMillan and Jack seriously considered giving up swimming.

But last night McMillan was rewarded with a time of 1 minute 48.35 seconds and Jack only 0.02 seconds behind. Both were nearly half a second under the qualifying time.

"I am a bit lost for words," McMillan, 23, said. "I was going to give things away after missing out on Beijing. But after a long chat and lots of encouragement from my coach Scott Talbot I decided to give things another go.

"This is fantastic. I am so rapt for myself and for Michael because we really pushed each other."

Jack, 24, said he too needed some motivation after missing out on the Olympics.

"I thought about giving it away but then decided that it was not the way I wanted to leave the sport so I re-evaluated and have worked really hard.

"I have been racing Andrew for more than 10 years now - sometimes he wins and sometimes I do. But tonight it was all about pushing each other to that time. Maybe we can continue to push on now. I am so thrilled."

Snyders, 21, made it a clean sweep by winning the 50m breaststroke. He also qualified for the worlds over 100m and 200m.

He was in a class of his own, winning in 28.10s after breaking the New Zealand record in the morning heats in 27.91s.

Swanepoel also broke the national record in the morning heat of the 50m butterfly in 23.46s, winning the final in 23.70s.

It was close but no cigar in the women's 200m freestyle where Olympic backstroker Melissa Ingram won in 2m 00.24s, 0.13s outside the national record and 0.3s off the world championship qualifying time.

Cantabrian and former world record-holder Zoe Baker took the women's 50m breaststroke title, and the 200m individual medley titles went to two 19-year-old prospects, Natalie Wiegersma of Southland and John Gatfield of Wellington.

Beijing Olympian Hayley Palmer won the women's 50m butterfly.

- NZPA