Close battle for individual honours at national junior swim championships

Last year’s leading swimmers, Auckland’s Alice Waldow and Whakatane’s Tarquin Magner, lead a close fought battle with one session remaining in the New Zealand Junior Swimming Championships in Auckland.

Waldow, 12, from the United Club in Auckland, enjoyed four straight wins in Saturday’s double sessions at the Owen G Glenn National Aquatics Centre. That brings her tally to six medals in three sessions in the female competition.

Pukekohe’s Janaye Burns is pushing Waldow in the female competition with four wins, two silvers and a bronze.

Meanwhile Whakatane club’s Magner has enjoyed four wins and a third on Saturday to also earn six medals to date in the male competition where his closest rival is Quintin Wong from the Papatoetoe club has amassed seven medals with four gold medals and three silvers.

Waldow, 12, took out the 400m individual medley, 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke today, while Burns, 10, had win in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke.

In the male competition, Magner, 11, won the 50m and 200m freestyle and the 50m and 100m backstroke over Saturday’s two sessions while Wong, 10, took out the 100m backstroke, 200m freestyle and 200m breaststroke.

Team work was the key for the outstanding Howick Pakuranga club, who have powered away with the overall club honours. They lead on 826 points from United on 503, SwimZone Racing from Wellington on 431, North Shore on 425 and Coast on 331 points.

The final session begins at 8am tomorrow.