Quality and numbers abound for New Zealand Age Group Championships

Nearly 700 swimmers from more than 100 clubs, including several who are targeting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be in action at the New Zealand Age Group Championships in Wellington next week.

The championships that run from Tuesday to Saturday next week at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre are also a qualifying event for July’s Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas.

There is an increase of nearly 10 per cent in entries this year for the championships for swimmers from 12 to 18 years.

They include junior world champion Gabrielle Fa’amausili (United club, Auckland) who won six gold medals last year.

Other female stars from last year’s national age championship include Georgina McCarthy (Hillcrest, Hamilton) who won a medal at the Australian Age Championships last year and five titles in New Zealand; Mya Rasmussen (KiwiWest Aquatics, Palmerston North), who won three medals including gold in Australia last year and Yeonsu Lee (North Shore) and Chelsey Edwards (SwimZone, Wellington) who both won five gold medals in 2016.

Howick Pakuranga’s Tyron Henry returns after winning six titles in Wellington last year; the Taranaki pair of Josh Gilbert (Stratford) and Zac Reid (AquaBladz) who both won medals at the Australian championships; and Wellington’s Lewis Clareburt (Capital), who won five gold medals in 2016 and impressed at the recent NZ Zonal Championship.

Morning heats begin at 9am with finals from 6pm daily from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 March, with the event streamed live here.

CAPTION: Josh Gilbert (Stratford) is among the star performers returning for the New Zealand Age Swimming Championships in Wellington next week. Credit: BW Media.

NZ Age Groups