World record for Pascoe, Snyders and Stanley superb

A world record to Paralympic star Sophie Pascoe and two more swimmers under the qualifying standing sparked an excellent penultimate night of action at the 2016 New Zealand Open Swimming Championships in Auckland.

Pascoe slashed more than a second off her own world record in the 100m butterfly for S10 category Para-Swimmers which caps her outstanding week where she has bettered the nomination standard in four swims so far.

Veteran Glenn Snyders is set to become just the fourth New Zealand swimmer to attend three Olympics after going under the standard in the 100m breaststroke and complete a clean sweep of all breaststroke titles this week.

Earlier Matthew Stanley added a second qualifying time when he won the 400m freestyle in a classy 3:49.01, after meeting the standard in the 200m freestyle earlier in the meet.

It means New Zealand has six swimmers in eight swims who have gone under the Olympic qualifying standard.

Both Snyders and Stanley continued the positive trait this week of going faster in the evening swim.

Stanley played the waiting game to power home over the final 100m to win the 400m freestyle in 3:49.01, going under the qualifying mark for Rio, to add to his 200m freestyle effort earlier in the week.

Howick Pakuranga’s Ewan Jackson, part of Swimming New Zealand’s high performance squad, set the tempo, pushing through the 200m on schedule in 1:52 and still led at the 300m in 2:50. As he faded, Stanley’s picture-perfect style took over as he came home strongly, with Jackson second in 3:51.08, just over half a second outside the Olympic standard.

“That’s the best way that I swim the 400s is even paced. Once I can improve the efficiency over the first 200 then the time will come down further,” Stanley said.

“I swim the 400 backend and Ewan swims it front end. He swam a really gutsy race and it made for a really good race.

“I’ve always been able to step up better at night. Over the last year I’ve been working hard on improving my heat swims and while I am yet to put both together, but it will happen.”

Snyders made it a clean sweep of all breaststroke titles as he went within a blink of the magical minute mark in winning his specialist 100m breaststroke in 1:00:08s in an outstanding swim.

The 28 year old, based in Los Angeles, produced a superb effort, after going under the qualifying standard in his morning heat in 1:00.36.

“I am absolutely rapt with that swim. I just wanted to go faster tonight,” Snyders said. “I haven’t had the best build-up with injury coming into the trials and having not raced much. I didn’t know what to expect.

“I was pleased with the 50m and the 200m was really encouraging and tonight was great.

“I guess this shows that my determination and perseverance over 15 plus years in the sport has paid off and to join the likes of Helen Norfolk, Dean Kent and now Lauren in three Olympics is special.”

Pascoe, who has also had a mixed build-up, has been in storming form throughout the meet before taking on her favourite 100m butterfly tonight.

The Canterbury Para-Swimmer went through the 50m mark in a tick under 29 seconds before powering home to clock 1:02.60, which smashed her own world record by more than a second.

Her top form, so far out from Rio, made a statement to her international competitors who are approaching their qualifying trials around the world in the coming weeks.

“I was surprised to get down into the 1:02s, I was hoping for a 1:03 low. When I saw 1:02.60 I was pleasantly surprised but I wanted a strong nationals to show all the others beginning their nationals that I am on form for Rio coming up in five months time.

“Now it is head-down and bum-up and try to get under that again in Rio. It is now all about hard work and dedication. I only have one thing on my mind and that is achieving my goals in Rio.”

There was hope for 2020 Olympic prospects, the 16-year-old pair of Gabrielle Fa’amausili and Bobbi Gichard in the 100m backstroke.

In the end the World Junior 50m backstroke champion Fa’amausili won in 1:00.85, just 2/100ths of a second ahead of Gichard, the Youth Olympic medallist, but just 0.6s outside the qualifying standard for Rio.

In other swims Porirua’s Bronagh Ryan won the 100m breaststroke in 1:11.53 from Ellie Eastwood (United) and Ciara Smith (Northwave).

North Shore’s Helena Gasson won the 50m butterfly in 26.62 from clubmate Laura Quilter while freestyle champion Daniel Hunter (Howick Pakuranga) won the men’s 50m butterfly in 24.00.

Younger brother Wilrich Coetzee got up over his older sibling Corneille to win the men’s 100m backstroke in 56.06, while fellow North Shore clubmate Monique King won the 1500m freestyle in 16:50.67 from Emma Robinson.

As well as Pascoe’s heroics, North Shore’s Bryall McPherson added a further nomination time in the Para-Swimming 100m butterfly for S8 while double Paralympic gold medallist Cameron Leslie was five seconds outside his own world record but well under the standard in the SM4 150m medley in 2:30.05.

The meet concludes tomorrow with heats from 10am and finals from 7pm.

The images are free for editorial use only. Credit: BW Media

Results of finals on the fourth day of the New Zealand Open Swimming Championships at the Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland:

Men 400m freestyle: Matthew Stanley (Matamata) 3:49.01, 1 (Rio 2016 Olympic Qualifying Time); Ewan Jackson (Howick Pakuranga) 3:51.08, 2; Nathan Capp (Greerton) 3:52.78, 3.

Women 100m breaststroke: Bronagh Ryan (Porirua City) 1:11.53, 1; Ellie Eastwood (United) 1:12.50, 2; Ciara Smith (Northwave) 1:13.07, 3.

Men 100m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders (North Shore) 1:00.08, 1; Mario Koenigsperger (Howick Pakuranga) 1:02.55, 2; George Schroder (Hokitika) 1:02.59, 3.

Women 50m butterfly: Helena Gasson (North Shore) 26.62, 1; Laura Quilter (North Shore) 26.75, 2; Samantha Lee (Capital) 27.37, 3.

Men 50m butterfly: Daniel Hunter (Howick Pakuranga) 24.00, 1; Paul Benson (Heretaunga Sundevils) 24.41, 2; Nielsen Varoy (Parnell) 24.42, 3.

Women 100m backstroke: Gabrielle Fa’amausili (United) 1:00.83, 1; Bobbi Gichard (Howick Pakuranga) 1:00.85, 2; Paige Flynn (St Peter’s) 1:02.71, 3.

Men 100m backstroke: Wilrich Coetzee (North Shore) 56.06, 1; Corneille Coetzee (North Shore) 56.55, 2; Jackson Cropp (North Shore) 56.66, 3.

Women 1500m freestyle: Monique King (North Shore) 16:50.67, 1; Emma Robinson (Capital) 17:06.95, 2; Charlotte Webby (Aquabladz New Plymouth) 17:17.93, 3.

Para-Swimmers:

Women 100m butterfly: Sophie Pascoe (QEII) 1:02.60, 1 (Unofficial World Record); Bryall McPherson (North Shore) 1:20.18, 2.

Men 100m butterfly: Christopher Arbuthnott (Ice Breaker) 1:04.70, 1; Tama Solouota (Howick Pakuranga) 1:23.29, 2.

Men 150m individual medley: Cameron Leslie (North Shore) 2:30.05, 1.

Men 200m freestyle: Tama Solouota (Howick Pakuranga) 2:24.13, 1; David Beck (Mt Albert Grammar) 2:26.30, 2; Dillon Knoetze (St Paul’s) 2:27.97, 3.

CAPTION: World record holder Sophie Pascoe celebrates success tonight.

NZ Open Championships