Swimming: Kean strikes gold in Barcelona

Gareth Kean. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Backstroker Gareth Kean won the 100m backstroke final on the second night of the Mare Nostrum swimming meet in Barcelona.

The Wellington 23-year-old, who had disappointed last year at the London Olympics, who had qualified fastest for the final, had his nose in front and the turn and held off Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer to win in 54.70 seconds.

Freestyler Lauren Boyle followed her second placing on the first night in the 800m, took silver again in the 400m, finishing behind Spain's double Olympic medallist Garcia Belmonte, as she had 24 hours earlier, and ahead of another Spanish swimmer Melanie Costa Schmid.

The Aucklander began smartly before the double Olympic medallist Belmonte took over at the midway mark, and streaked to a win in 4min 05.99s with Boyle finishing strongly for second in 4:07.75 and Schmid a further second back.

There was a bronze medal for Matamata swimmer Matt Stanley in the 200m freestyle.

Stanley had disappointed in the 400m on the first day but made up for it today.

He was second at the 150m mark behind Japan's Yuki Kobori before being overtaken by fast-finishing German Yannick Lebherz, clocking 1:49.50.

New Zealand swimmers bagged six medals over the meet.

Breaststroker Glenn Snyders was fourth in the 50m event, in 28.20s after qualifying second. He cramped in the heats of the 200m breaststroke and didn't qualify for the A final.

In other swims Samantha Lucie-Smith was an excellent fifth in the 400m freestyle in 4:15.49; Steven Kent, preparing for the US Opens in August, was seventh in the 200m freestyle in 1:51.30; Nathan Capp was seventh in the 400m individual medley in 4:28.39 and Samantha Lee was seventh in the 200m butterfly in 2:15.22.