Manawatu swimmer breaks record to win Australian title

Manawatu swimmer Mya Rasmussen has stormed to victory over the best from both sides of the Tasman in the Australian age championships in Adelaide.

The 15 year old from the Kiwi West Aquatics club won the 400m individual medley in 4:46.87, and finished more than seven seconds clear of her nearest rival.

Her time was six seconds under the New Zealand age record that she set in February and is faster than the long standing 16 years national age record set by Helen Norfolk in 1998.

Taranaki’s Joshua Gilbert was also in the medals, finishing second in the 100m breaststroke. The 14 year old from Stratford was timed at 1:06.26 for the silver medal, which was 0.2s inside his own national record.

There are two further days of competition.

Results to date:

Girls 12-13, 200m backstroke: Georgina McCarthy (Hillcrest) 2:27.20, 10; Bianca Donelley (Rotorua) 58.94, 6; 200m freestyle: Donnelly 2:10.70, 9; 200m breaststroke: McCarthy 2:52.19, 9; 200m individual medley, McCarthy 2:22.85, 3; 800m freestyle: McCarthy 9:15.32, 4

Girls 14, 100m freestyle: Madeleine Falconer (United) 59.24, 10; Chelsey Edwards (SwimZone Racing) 57.72, 4; 50m freestyle: Falconer 27.79, 5; Edwards 26.86, 6.

Girls 15, 400m freestyle Olivia Corrin (Enterprise) 4:4:22:87, 7; 800m freestyle: Corrin 9:05.69, 10; Mya Rasmussen (Kiwi West Aquatics) 9:09.51, 11; Rasmussen 200m butterfly 2:18.83, 8; 400m medley: Rasmussen 4:46.87, 1 (NZ Record).

Girls 16, 400m medley: Caitlin Deans (Neptune) 5:04.04, 6; 200m freestyle: Hayley McIntosh (Northwave) 2:04.43, 7; McIntosh 400m freestyle 4:17.90, equal 4; Deans 4:22.74, 7.

Boys 14, 100m breaststroke: Joshua Gilbert (Stratford) 1:06.26, 2 (NZ record); 200m individual medley: Gilbert 2:12.79, 6; Gilbert 200m backstroke 2:15.05, 9.

Boys 16, 200m freestyle: Zac Reid (Aquabladz) 1:57.23, 9; Reid 400m freestyle 4:02.51,7.