Swimming: Radford hot favourite to take title

Kane Radford realises he will be the favourite. Photo / Brett Phibbs

From Kane who to hot favourite, Kane Radford will catch no one by surprise when he plunges into the water for this summer's Ocean Swim Series.

At 17, he remains the baby among the sports elite but far from being an unknown, the Rotorua-based open water specialist will be the one to beat.

He beat top pool swimmer and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Moss Burmester by over a minute in last year's 2.8km Harbour Crossing to stun the pundits and show that a new star was about to stroke his way into the record books. He accepts his win caught most by surprise but now realises he will go into this series as favourite.

"You never know how any open water swim will pan out let alone an entire series but I'm sure I will be seen as the one to beat," said Radford. "My focus is very much on Beijing next year but first I must qualify for the World Open Water Championships in Seville in May.

"The Sovereign series will play a big part in my preparation, with each race a chance to pick up vital experience in elite company."

Since last summer, Radford has been hard at it. He finished 22nd in the 10km at the world championships and followed that with a national 1500m [pool] record while in the US with the New Zealand youth squad in June. His 15m 38s effort broke the record he had set earlier in the year.

On Sunday he will hope his heavy training workload of between 85km-90km a week will have him ready for what promises to be a ding-dong battle with Burmester and fellow NZ swim team members Dean Kent and Michael Jack.

To qualify for the Olympics, Radford must finish in the top 16 at the Seville championships.

While he has yet to confirm his commitment to the series here, he says he is likely to swim three, possibly four, of the five races.

Helen Norfolk (the 2004 and 2005 winner) and Melissa Ingram (who won last year), will continue their battle. They have provided the quinella in all three Harbour crossings and will be to the forefront again with top triathlete Debbie Tanner another to watch.

The first male and female across the line at the Viaduct Harbour will collect $1500. Prizemoney in each of the five races totals $5200. The series winners will collect a further $2000 with the total prize pool for the summer a cool $35,000.