Swimming: Large team exceeds expectations

Melissa Ingram. Photo / Getty Images.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has announced one of the biggest swimming teams ever for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The announcement by Chef de Mission Dave Currie came at the conclusion of the New Zealand Open Swimming Championships at West Wave Aquatic Centre in Waitakere.

A team of 12 was named tonight including seven individuals and the women's 4x200m freestyle relay team. There may be further additions to the team with the men's 4x200m freestyle relay, women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay and the men's 4x100m medley relay awaiting final confirmation from Fina and the open water swimmers to compete in their final selection race both in early June.

This compares with the previous biggest teams of 15 for the Beijing Olympics, 13 in Athens in 2004 and 14 in Atlanta in 1996.

The team includes eight performances currently ranked in the top 10 in the world to date this year.

Five of the seven individuals named have qualified in multiple events. The line-up comprises 2008 Olympians Melissa Ingram, Glenn Snyders, Daniel Bell, Natasha Hind, Hayley Palmer and Lauren Boyle. Others to step up from the Delhi Commonwealth Games team include Gareth Kean, Amaka Gessler and Penelope Marshall.

The newcomers are Wellington teenager Samantha Lucie-Smith and Matthew Stanley, who broke the long-standing national records of Danyon Loader in the 200m and 400m freestyle to qualify.

Secretary-general and selector Kereyn Smith said watching the athletes achieve the tough New Zealand Olympic Committee selection criteria during the week was satisfying.

"I'd like to congratulate the group of athletes who have exceeded expectations this week," she said. "We look forward to this large team of swimmers making us proud in London."

Swimming New Zealand chairman Ross Butler said he was delighted with both the size and quality of the team.

"There have been some outstanding performances at the Olympic Trials and at pinnacle events, and the team going to London has more performances ranked in the top 10 in the world than any other New Zealand Olympic swimming team in recent times," Mr Butler said.

The team is:

Daniel Bell (North Shore) 100m backstroke

Lauren Boyle (North Shore - High Performance Centre) 200, freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle relay.

Amaka Gessler (Motueka - HPC) 4x200m freestyle relay

Natasha Hind (Capital - HPC) 4x200m freestyle relay

Melissa Ingram (North Shore - HPC) 200m backstroke

Gareth Kean (Capital - Wellington HPC) 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke

Samantha Lucie-Smith (Capital - Wellington HPC) 4x200m freestyle relay

Penelope Marshall (North Shore - HPC) 4x200m freestyle relay

Hayley Palmer (North Shore) 50m freestyle

Glenn Snyders (North Shore - HPC) 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke

Matthew Stanley (Matamata - HPC) 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle

Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley) 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley.

The support staff will be confirmed in the near future, with final confirmation on the additional relay team qualification due on 11 June.

Successfully nominated to New Zealand Olympic Committee, pending FINA confirmation

(underlined names not already selected to Olympic team in other events)

4 x 200m men's freestyle relay

Matthew Stanley, Steven Kent, Dylan Dunlop-Barrett, Andrew McMillan

4 x 100 women's freestyle relay

Hayley Palmer, Amaka Gessler, Penelope Marshall, Natasha Hind

4 x 100 men's medley relay

Gareth Kean (Back), Glenn Snyders (Breast), Daniel Bell (Fly), Carl O'Donnell (Free)