Boyle, Gasson lead way in Sydney

New Zealand swimmers produced some encouraging results at the New South Wales Championships in Sydney over the weekend.

Lauren Boyle cruised under the Rio Olympic qualifying times in both the 400m and 800m freestyle, an encouraging result given she is in full training load at present.

The highlight came with a New Zealand record to Helena Gasson who broke New Zealand’s longest standing record in the final of the 200m butterfly.

The 21 year old clocked 2:10.98 in finishing second in the final of the 200m butterfly. This eclipsed the previous mark of 2:11.62 set by Liz van Welie at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

New Zealand swimmers qualified for 17 finals at the championships as they prepare for the upcoming open championships which form the official trial for the Rio Olympics.

Sydney-based Mitchell Donaldson was the only other New Zealander to make the podium, finishing third in the final of the 400m individual medley in third place in a time of 4:24.42.

Queensland-based Emma Robinson was fourth in the 800m freestyle, as was Samantha Lee in the 200m butterfly.

The New Zealand A finalists at Sydney Olympic Park were:

Men 400m freestyle: Matthew Stanley 3:59.01, 10.

Women 50m butterfly: Helena Gasson 27.08, 5.

Women 400m individual medley: Helena Gasson 4:51.42, 6.

Women 200m backstroke: Kelsi Boocock 2:16.11, 8; Emma Godwin 2:18.15, 10.

Women 800m freestyle: Lauren Boyle 8:32.56, 2; Emma Robinson 8:37.88, 4.

Women 400m freestyle: Lauren Boyle 4:08.91, 2; Emma Robinson 4:14.80, 7.

Men 50m butterfly: Nielsen Varoy 24.46, 5.

Women 100m butterfly: Samantha Lee 1:00.10, 5; Helena Gasson 1:00.22, 7.

Men 200m individual medley: Mitchell Donaldson 2:02.80, 5; Bradlee Ashby 2:03.74, 6.

Men 200m freestyle: Matthew Stanley 1:49.59, 8.

Women 200m butterfly: Helena Gasson 2:10.98, 2 (NZ Record); Samantha Lee 2:11.64, 4.

Men 200m breaststroke: George Schroder 2:17.55, 8; Julian Layton 2:18.03, 9.

Men 400m individual medley: Mitchell Donaldson 4:24.42, 3.

Women 50m backstroke: Emma Godwin 29.57, 5.

Others swimming were: Laura Quilter, Blake Gunn, Jenna Buchanan, Wilrich Coetzee, Jacob Garrod, Samantha Lucie-Smith, Monique King, Yeonsu Lee, William Benson, Paul Benson, Corneille Coetzee, Andrew Trembath, Chris Dawson and Shaun Burnett.