Swimming: Swanepoel makes semis at world champs

Corney Swanepoel was the best of the New Zealanders on the opening day of the world swimming championships in Rome this morning (NZT).

Swanepoel made the semifinals of the 50m butterfly after he broke his own national record in the morning's heats.

Swanepoel, 23, lowered his own set in April's world championship trials to 23.40 seconds in the morning to qualify 13th fastest for the evening semifinals.

He made a strong start but could not better that effort in the semifinals, clocking 23.50sec to be 15th fastest.

Spain's Rafael Munoz set a new championship record of 22.68sec to lead the semifinalists while South African defending champion Roland Schoeman missed out on a place in the final.

"Corney was outstanding in the morning heat and looked very composed to break his own New Zealand record," New Zealand head coach Jan Cameron said.

"He knew he had to go well under that and close to the 23 second mark just to make the final.

"Corney made a great start and really went for it but could not quite hold his form in the semifinal.

"However he is showing good speed for his main event, the 100m butterfly later in the meet."

North Shore's Daniel Bell matched his personal best of 23.76sec in the morning heats of the same event which was 3/10ths outside the final qualifying spot for the semifinals.

He was 29th fastest of the 205 starters from more than 70 countries who qualified for the event.

Earlier, butterfly specialist Moss Burmester did not qualify for the finals of the 400m freestyle, a shakedown swim ahead of his main event, the 200m butterfly on day three.

Clubmate Glenn Snyders also did not progress in the 100m breaststroke when he finished well outside his own national record clocking 1min 0.77sec to be the 26th fastest from 142 starters.

"It was disappointing for both of them today," Cameron said.

"While it's a warm-up event for Moss, I am sure he wanted to go under his best time, while Glenn was very disappointed himself.

"He has been training so well and has gone under this time several times in training."

In tomorrow's action Andrew McMillan (North Shore) and Michael Jack (West Auckland Aquatics) compete in the heats of the 200m freestyle and Bell is in his favoured 100m backstroke.

New Zealand results

50m butterfly semifinal 1:
Rafael Munoz (Spain) 22.68sec 1; Duje Draganja (Croatia) 23.03sec 2; Matthew Targett (Australia) 23.04sec 3. Also Corney Swanepoel (NZ) 23.50sec 8.

Heats:
400m freestyle: Moss Burmester 3min 51.31sec, 26th.
100m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders 1min 0.77sec, 26th.

- NZPA