Swimming: Snyders a stand-out in morning heats

Glenn Snyders. Photo / NZ Herald

Commonwealth Games medallist Glenn Snyders was a standout performer in this morning's heats at the national swimming championships in Auckland.

North Shore-based Snyders, 23, was fastest in heats of the 50m breaststroke in 28.39 seconds, a second clear of his nearest rival Luke Westgaard (Roskill Magic).

Coached by Mark Regan, Snyders will be looking for a second qualifying performance tonight in the event that he earned a silver medal at Delhi.

Tonight's women's 200m freestyle promises to be an outstanding battle with US-based Lauren Boyle fastest in the heats in one minute 59.83 seconds from fellow Commonwealth Games relay medallists Tash Hind and Amaka Gessler.

Wellington teenager Samantha Lucie-Smith impressed to be fourth fastest ahead Penny Marshall, also a member of the successful Delhi relay team.

Boyle was just half a second outside the qualifying time for the world championships and is favoured to claim the title.

There will also be a race within the race tonight, with the potential for a women's team to qualify for Shanghai in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Serbian Velimir Stjepanovic, swimming for Laser Mt Eden, was fastest qualifier in the men's 200m butterfly in 2min 03.13sec ahead of the North Shore pair of Shaun Burnett and Andrew McMillan.

The six-day championships at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in Henderson double as the official trials for the world championships.

- NZPA