Young Kiwi swimmers secure victories in Australian meets

Gisborne swimmer Josh Taylor-Martin bagged the double at the Victorian Age Swimming Championships in Melbourne.

The 17 year old from the Enterprise club added the 17-18 years 100m freestyle title to the 200m freestyle won earlier in the meet.

The other victory came at the Queensland Championships in Brisbane to Taranaki swimmer Joshua Gilbert.

Eighty-six New Zealand swimmers from 33 clubs are competing in Australia this week at the Queensland Championships and the Victorian Age championships in Melbourne.

Taylor-Martin had to work harder in the 100m freestyle, finishing in a deadheat in a slick time of 51.43s, which is a second outside the national age record.

There were two other medals on the final day of the Victorian Age meet with Ryan Oliver (Howick Pakuranga) third in the under 13 years 400m medley in 5:08.55 while 14 years Ben Littlejohn (St Paul’s, Waikato) was third in the 200m freestyle in 2:01.53. His time was less than a second outside the national record and completed a strong week with a win and three podiums.

Gilbert led the way on the penultimate night of finals at the Queensland Championships winning the 15 years 200m breaststroke. The Stratford club swimmer was timed at 2:25.18 for the win.

There were two other podiums for Kiwi swimmers, with Canterbury’s Thomas Wilson (QEII) third in the 16 years 200m medley in 2:12.27 while Palmerston North’s Mya Rasmussen was third in the 16 years 200m medley in 2:19.35.

The Queensland event wraps up on today.

Meanwhile four swimmers will compete in the New South Wales Open Water Championships from Monday at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith. They comprise Stefannie Gillespie (Zenith, Otago) and the Taranaki trio of Charlotte Webby, Troy Balvert and Jordan Gadsby from the Aquabladz club.

Results, Victorian Age Championships, day 6:

Female, 16-18 yrs 800m freestyle: Claudia Ashby (Fairfield) 9:20.78, 4^th

14-15 yrs 800m freestyle: Kaitlyn Sosa (Fairfield) 9:34.01, 6^th

13 under 400m freestyle: Milla Theobald (Swim Rotorua) 4:41.09, 6^th

15 yrs 200m medley: Madison Don (Parnell) 2:33.69, 10^th.

13 yrs 100m backstroke: Jessica Folomu (Howick Pakuranga) 1:10.13, 7^th.

Male, 13 under 400m medley: Ryan Oliver (Howick Pakuranga) 5:08.55, 3^rd

11 under 100m breaststroke: Chris Jiang (Howick Pakuranga) 1:25.19, 4th

17-18 yrs 200m butterfly: Maxwell Stubbs (Te Awamutu) 2:11.53, 6^th

14 yrs 200m freestyle: Ben Littlejohn (St Paul’s) 2:01.53, 3^rd.

13 yrs 100m backstroke: Oliver 1:08.18, 8^th.

17-18 yrs 100m freestyle: Josh Taylor-Martin (Enterprise) 51.43, equal 1.

16 yrs 200m backstroke: David Boles (Swim Rotorua) 2:12.15, 5^th

Queensland Championships, day 5:

Female, 17-18 200m backstroke: Sarah O’Connor (Capital) 2:20.31, 6^th.

15 yrs 200m freestyle: Chelsey Edwards (SwimZone) 2:04.30, 4^th

14 yrs 100m backstroke: Bianca Donelley (Swim Rotorua) 1:07.78, 10^th.

16 yrs 200m medley: Mya Rasmussen (Kiwi West) 2:19.35, 3^rd; Macy Burns (Capital) 2:27.37, 7^th

14 yrs 400m medley: Georgina McCarthy (Hillcrest) 5:07.27, 4th

Male, 15 yrs 200m freestyle: Lochlainn O’Connor (Greerton) 1:58.05, 9^th.

15 yrs 200m breaststroke: Joshua Gilbert (Stratford) 2:25.18, 1^st.

16 yrs 200m medley; Thomas Wilson (QEII) 2:12.27, 3^rd; George Dorrington (Pirates) 2:14.43, 6^th

CAPTION: Joshua Gilbert. Credit BW Media.