Fa’amausili leads young Kiwis against Australia’s best

Junior world champion Gabrielle Fa’amausili led the way for the New Zealand team on the first day of the Australian State Teams Age competition in Canberra.

The 39-strong New Zealand team has been invited to the three-day short course meet for the first time, with the competition comprising a mix of rapid-fire individual events and team races.

While the Kiwis cannot take home medals, they have found the competition against Australia’s best age group swimmers an invaluable experience.

Fa’amausili (United) was second fastest in 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly in the 15-16 years division.

Her 14-year-old United clubmate Madeline Falconer who was second fastest in the 50m freestyle in 25.78 and fifth in the 200m individual medley in 2:21.65.

Dunedin’s Caitlin Deans, 15, from the Neptune club, was third fastest in the 400m freestyle in 4:16.33, while North Shore’s Koene Smit was third fastest in the 400m freestyle in 3:52.30.

There are two sessions today and one tomorrow morning at the Australian Institute of Sport pool in Canberra.