Fifth swimmer qualifies for World Junior Championships

Auckland’s Annabelle Paterson became the fifth swimmer to qualify for the World Junior Championships at the 2015 Mayfair Pools New Zealand Age Group Championships in Wellington today.

The championships at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre double as the official trial for swimmers to gain selection for the biennial World Junior Championships in Singapore and the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

Sixteen year old Paterson (United) followed the in-form Bobbi Gichard to go under the qualifying time of 2:16.76 in heats of the 200m backstroke this morning in 2:16.09.

“It was really good,” said Paterson “I was really nervous beforehand because I really wanted to qualify in the morning and have no pressure in the night.

“It’s really cool. I’ve always wanted to qualify for teams and just being able to do it and going away is awesome.”

Paterson hopes she will be able to improve when she heads away with the team in August this year.

“I want to improve, do PBs, and just learn heaps because I know I’ve got heaps to work on so learning from other coaches will be good over there too.”

Gichard produced an even quicker time in the finaI tonight coming home in an outstanding 2:14.83, which was her second qualifying swim after already bettering the mark in the 100m backstroke.

In other swims tonight Wilrich Coetzee (North Shore, Auckland) was fastest in a close field in the men’s 17-18 years 400m individual medley ahead of Hamish Trlin (Capital, Wellington) and Andrew Trembath (Neptune, Otago).

Kelsi Boocock (North Shore, Auckland) was quickest in the 17-18 years 200 backstroke in 2:17.20, ahead of United’s Rebekah Bradley (2:20.10) and St Peter’s swimmer Paige Flynn (2:20.22).

In the men’s 17-18 years 200m backstroke Trembath claimed honours in 2:06.43 while in the 12-13 years Josh Gilbert was home first in 2:19.34 to claim his fifth win of the week.

In the women’s 17-18 years 100m butterfly Maggie Burns (Capital, Wellington) won in 1:04.45 while Coeztee claimed his second win of the evening in the men’s event in 55.61.

Otago’s Caitlin Deans (Neptune) produced the quickest time in the women’s 800m freestyle to win the 15 years age group in 9:02.26 while the 17-18 years age group title went to Abigail Chapman (Pukekohe, Counties Manukau) in 9:18.81.

Michael Pickett was the only one to pick up a New Zealand age group record today in the 12 years 100m butterfly in a time of 1:04.19.

The competition continues conclude tomorrow with heats from 9am and finals from 6pm.

CAPTION: Annabelle Paterson in qualifies for the FINA World Junior Championships.

The image is free for editorial use. Credit: BW Media

NZ Age Groups