Golden Start to Junior Swimming Championships

Auckland’s Gina Galloway and Christchurch’s Thomas Wilson were the leading lights after the first two sessions of the State New Zealand Junior Swimming Championships today.

The championships attracted full entries from 92 clubs for the dual meet staged at Westwave Aquatic Centre in Auckland and the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre.

Galloway, 11, from the Kings Swim Club in Auckland and Wilson, 12, from QEII Swim Club in Christchurch both won five gold medals.

Galloway won the 50m breaststroke, 100m and 200m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly along with one silver medal at Westwave.

Wilson won the 100m and 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley, while he also won a bronze medal at Wellington.

Two other Canterbury swimmers were to the fore in Wellington with Kyra Forrest (Wharenui) won four golds and two bronze medals and Mine Nel (QEII) won four golds and one bronze.

They helped QEII Swim Club to the top of the club points after two sessions on 666 points ahead of North Shore on 405, United (Auckland) on 366, Coast Swim Club on 325, Stratford 308, King’s Swim Club 265, Otumoetai 240, Wharenui 206, with SwimZone Racing and Howick Pakuranga both with 204.

The championships finish tomorrow (Sunday).

Caption: Thomas Wilson during the State New Zealand Junior Champs, Wellington. Credit: Justin Arthur/bwp.co.nz/Swimming New Zealand.

NZ Juniors