Swimming: Magic night at NZ champs

By DAVID LEGGAT

Four swimmers nailed trips to the Athens Olympics as the New Zealand championships got off to a bumper start at the Waitakere pool in Henderson last night.

And for the North Shore club it was a night to savour as all four swimmers who posted the Olympic qualifying times train under its roof.

New Zealand director of coaching Clive Rushton reckoned it was the finest night of swimming he had seen in three years in the country.

"Without any question," he said. "Not just good swims and national records, but genuine world-class swims. You could have stood a lot of those swimmers up against almost anyone in the world and the race would have been on."

Hannah McLean was one in that category, kicking off the championships in spectacular fashion in the morning heats, clocking 1m 01.55s in the 100m backstroke to post a national record and dipping under the Olympic A standard.

It was a faster time than any swimmer managed at the Australian Olympic trials and with four more months of preparation ahead, offers an early hint of something special in Athens in August.

"It was definitely my goal to make sure I got the A time," she said.

"I've had a really solid preparation and I'm growing in confidence."

In the first evening session, she was joined by clubmates Helen Norfolk, Cameron Gibson and Corney Swanepoel as the country's best swimmers flexed their muscles and showed they have peaked at the right time.

The Olympics are a one-time hit - post the required time at these championships or forget Athens.

An Olympic A standard guarantees a trip; a SNZ time will do the trick, providing another swimmer has not attained the Olympic standard.

Norfolk was ecstatic at securing her trip by winning the 400m individual medley with a roaring 4m 44.65s - 1.76s inside the Olympic A standard.

Her rival, Liz van Welie, was ahead after the opening butterfly leg, but from then on it was 22-year-old Norfolk's race.

She powered away on her favoured backstroke leg and her fellow Sydney Olympian van Welie was unable to peg back the gap.

"I'm so relieved. I really knew I could do it, I'd trained my butt off and I'm so happy with the time.

"I think I can go faster," the transplanted Cantabrian said.

She's not alone in that thinking either. Her coach, Jan Cameron, is sure Norfolk - and McLean for that matter - have plenty left in the tank.

"We think Helen can get down to 4min 40s. She's worked very hard on her strokes and she's got a lot more in her," Cameron said.

The men's 100m backstroke semifinals had the crowd on its feet.

In the first race, Scott Talbot-Cameron clocked 55.88s, to achieve the New Zealand standard, only for beanpole Gibson to turn in a sizzling 55.39s a few minutes later to get an Athens trip and throw the task of posting another Olympic standard back in Talbot-Cameron's court.

Anyone doubting teenager Swanepoel's ability was put in their place as the South African-raised 18-year-old booked his Games spot with a national record of 52.5s in the 100m butterfly semifinals.

The Olympic A time is 53.49s and the time would have put the North Shore swimmer eighth in the world last year.

The most disappointed swimmer apart from van Welie was 2000 Sydney Olympian Dean Kent, who fell outside the Olympic A time and the Swimming New Zealand time in the 400m individual medley final.

In the final race, a women's 4 x 200m relay team posted 8m 12.90s which should be good enough to lead to an invitation from the International Olympic Committee.

The winning four were Alison Fitch, Rebecca Linton, McLean and Norfolk.

* Libby Lenton smashed the world 100m freestyle record at the Australian Olympic swimming trials in Brisbane last night, clocking 53.66s.

We're off to Athens

Hannah McLean: 100m backstroke heat, 1m 01.55s, Olympic A time.

Helen Norfolk: 400m individual medley final, 4m 44.65s, Olympic A time.

Cameron Gibson: 100m backstroke semifinal, 55.39s, Olympic A time.

Corney Swanepoel: 100m butterfly semifinal, 52.5s, Olympic A time.