Swimming: Kiwi team impress at world championships

10.00am

Athens Olympian Liz Coster fired up the burgeoning New Zealand swim team who qualified for five semifinals and one final on the second day of the world short course championships in the United States today.

Coster, who swims in the 100m backstroke finals tonight (NZT), is also through to the semifinals of the 50m butterfly along with fellow North Shore swimmer Nichola Chellingworth.

The 24-year-old Chellingworth, in her first major international meet, also qualified for the semifinals in the 100m freestyle.

Others through to the semifinals are Anthony van der Kraay (North shore) in the 400m individual medley and Te Rina Taite (West Auckland Aquatics) in the 100m individual medley.

The other highlight of the morning session was a superb swim by the men's 4x200m freestyle relay team who qualified fifth for tonight's final.

Chellingworth was the 15th qualifier for the 100m freestyle in a personal best 55.46, with Canterbury's Sarah Catherwood also achieving a personal best by more than half a second in 24th.

The North Shore swimmer was equal 14th fastest in equalling her personal best in the heats of the 50m butterfly, while the in-form Coster went under her best with a 27.53 to be 13th fastest, both through to the semifinals.

Van der Kraay was marginally outside his best but impressive in qualifying 11th in the men's 400m individual medley in 4:18.52, while Wellington's Te Rina Taite took nearly a second off her best with a 1:04.18 to be 15th fastest in the women's 100m individual medley and into the semifinals.

The New Zealand team of Michael Jack, Cameron Gibson (both North Shore), Ben Pickersgill-Brown (Aquagym, Canterbury) and Andrew McMillan (Neptune, Otago) produced a superb performance to clock 7.20.60 to be fifth fastest in qualifying for the finals of the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Jack led out with a 1:49.84 with Cameron pushing the New Zealanders with a superb 1:47.80 with Pickersgill-Brown and McMillan swimming 1:51s.

"It's another very good day for this young and inexperienced squad. They have some confidence now and are all swimming best times," Swimming New Zealand high performance director Clive Rushton said.

"Coach Jan Cameron has developed a good spirit in the team and they are making the most of this opportunity."

The meet continues until Monday.

New Zealand results, day 2:

100m freestyle: Nichola Chellingworth (North Shore) 55.71, 15th; Sarah Catherwood (Aquagym, Canterbury) 56.67, 24th.

400m individual medley: Anthony van der Kraay (North Shore) 4:18.52, 11th.

50m butterfly: Liz Coster (North Shore) 27.53, 13th, Chellingworth 27.56, 14th.

50m freestyle: Scott Cantley (Capital, Wellington) 23.46, 41st; Ben Pickersgill-Brown (Aquagym) 23.53, 43rd.

100m individual medley: Te Rina Taite (West Auckland Aquatics) 1:04.18, 15th.

800m freestyle, bottom half: Shannon Clayton (Capital) 8:49.87, 4th, Verity Hicks (Capital) 9:07.61, 8th.

4x200m freestyle relay: New Zealand (Michael Jack, Cameron Gibson, Pickersgill-Brown, Andrew McMillan) 7:20.60, 5th.

- NZPA