Swimming: NZ records for Boyle, Snyders

New Zealand swimmer Lauren Boyle. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Lauren Boyle and Glenn Snyders have set New Zealand records to spark a top start for the country's representatives at the world swimming championships in China.

Boyle will be the first New Zealander contest a final in Shanghai when she competes in the 400m freestyle event late tonight. The 23-year-old was the third fastest qualifier in today's heats of the women's 400m freestyle, clocking a time of four minutes 5.61 seconds, nearly 2sec faster than the national mark she set in April.

Boyle returned permanently from the United States this year to train under Mark Regan at Swimming New Zealand's high performance centre.

Her time trailed only those of Italy's defending world champion Federica Pellegrini and Camille Muffat, of France, and ahead of 800m freestyle world champion Lotte Friis, the swimmer coached by Regan to Olympic success in his time in Denmark.

Snyders went under the magical 1min barrier for the first time to finish as the second fastest qualifier in the men's 100m breaststroke.

The 24-year-old won the ninth of 11 heats in 59.94sec, breaking his own national record set with the benefit of suits in 2009.

Snyders, also coached by Regan, was second fastest overall behind Norway's Alexander Dale Oen, the Beijing silver medallist and European champion in 59.71sec, and will contest the semifinal tonight.

In other swims Sophia Batchelor was 39th fastest in the heats of the 100m butterfly and Dylan Dunlop-Barrett was 30th in the 400m freestyle.

Teammate Daniel Bell was 30th fastest just outside his best time in the heats of the 50m butterfly, a warm-up swim for his backstroke later in the meet.

The women's 4x100m freestyle relay team, without sprinter Hayley Palmer who withdrew last week due to illness, were 14th fastest in their heat.

New Zealand heats results:

Women's 400m freestyle, fastest qualifiers: Federica Pellegrini (Italy) 4min 04.76sec 1, Camille Muffat (France) 4:05.62 2, Lauren Boyle (NZ) 4:05.86 (NZ record) 3.

Men's 100m breaststroke, fastest qualifiers: Alexander Dale Oen (Norway) 59.71sec 1, Glenn Snyders (NZ) 59.94 (NZ record) 2, Kosuke Kitajima (Japan) 59.96 3.

Women's 100m butterfly: Sophia Batchelor (NZ) 1:01.92 39.

Men's 400m freestyle: Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (NZ) 3:56.04 30.

Men's 50m butterfly: Daniel Bell (NZ) 24.43 30.

Women's 4x100m freestyle relay: New Zealand 3:44.99 14 (Natasha Hind 55.49, Amaka Gessler 55.00, Sophia Batchelor 58.82, Penny Marshall 55.68).

- NZPA