Coetzee chases fifth championship swimming title

North Shore swimmer Wilrich Coetzee will chase a fifth title on the penultimate day of the Swimming New Zealand Short Course Championships in Auckland today.

The 19-year-old topped qualifiers in the 100m butterfly in the heats today in 53.10s at the Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre on the North Shore.

Coetzee has already won the 100m, 200m, 400m individual medley and the 100m backstroke, as he chases his favoured titles in the 100m and 200m butterfly on the final two days, as well as qualification for the upcoming world championships.

The young guns continued to make their mark with 16 year olds Ellie Eastwood (United) fastest in heats for the 400m individual medley in 4:51.20.

College star Finn Kennard-Campbell (North Shore) went under two minutes (1:59.47) in heats of the 200m backstroke but top spot went to Andrew Trembath (Neptune) in 1:58.64.

North Shore’s Caroline Baddock topped the heats in the 200m backstroke in 2:08.93 ahead of Kelsi Boocock (North Shore) and Annabelle Paterson (United).

Rio Olympian Helena Gasson was fastest in the women’s 100m butterfly in a slick 59.39 ahead of Australian Emily Washer.

The evening finals session begins at 6pm, with the championships also the official qualifying meet for December’s FINA World Short Course Championships, ending on Thursday.

CAPTION: Wilrich Coetzee in action. Credit: BW Media.

NZ Short Course Championships