Six Finalists on day one of Australian Youth Olympic Festival

New Zealand swimmers qualified for six finals on the opening night of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney tonight.  

The best results were a trio of fifth placings in the 100m backstroke to Stratford’s Julian Weir, Hamilton’s and Auckland’s Caroline Baddock and Hamilton’s Bradlee Ashby in the 200m butterfly. Weir (AquaBladz) clocked 58.02, finishing fifth in the men’s final while Baddock (Laser Mt Eden) went 1:03.73 in the women's. Ashby (Fairfield) clocked 2:04.49 in the final of the 200m butterfly.  

In other finals Hamilton’s Sam Perry (St Peter's) was seventh in the 200m freestyle in 1:54.11, Cameron Blair (Kiwi West, Palmerston North) was seventh in the 200m butterfly (2:08.20) while Melita Raravula (Northwave, Whangarei) was eighth in the 200m butterfly in 2:23.66.  

The second day sees Aimee Moss and Georgia Marris, Perry and Weir in heats of the 100m freestyle, national champion Natasha Lloyd, Abbie Johnston, Ben Walsh and George Schroder in the 100m breaststroke while Kelly Scammell, Raravula, Ashby and Blair compete in the heats of the 400m Individual Medley.  

For further information contact:  

IAN HEPENSTALL 

Media Manager Swimming NZ High Performance Sports Media NZ Ltd Tel 09 2327822 Mob 0275 613181 E: ian@sportsmedianz.com Skype: kiwiheps