Competitive start for Kiwi swimmers on opening day 

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS - NZ WRAP DAY 1

The New Zealand swim team made a quality start to their campaign at the 17th FIA World Swimming Championships in Budapest.

They did not earn an evening swim into the finals but had two useful performances in the morning heats.

Rio Olympian Helena Gasson was 21st fastest from 36 starters in the 200m individual medley in 2:13.91, which was half a second outside her best and 0.8s off the final qualifying spot for the semifinals.

Defending World and current Olympic champion, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) topped qualifiers in 2:07.49 and produced a similar time to top times in the evening semifinals, more than 1.5s ahead of her nearest rival.

Gasson, from the Coast club and training at the High Performance Centre, was 10th fastest through the halfway mark after butterfly and backstroke legs, back to 15th after the breaststroke and could not match the strong freestylers over the final 50m.

The men’s 4x100m freestyle quartet were 15th fastest in heats with only the fastest eight going through to the final.

The quartet of Mathew Stanley, Sam Perry, Corey Main and Daniel Hunter clocked 3:17.74 which was around three seconds off the final qualifying spot for the final.


All four swim solidly with 49 second legs, with Brazil topping qualifiers in 3:12.34 before they were edged by USA in the final.

In day two action Main and Gabrielle Fa’amausili compete in the 100m backstroke; Natasha Lloyd in the 100m breaststroke; Stanley in the 200m freestyle and Emma Robinson in the 1500m freestyle.

Results, heats day 1:

Women 200m individual medley, heats: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2:07.49, 1 Sydney Pickrem (CAN) 2:10.14, 2; Madisyn Cox (USA) 2:10.16, 3. Also: Helena Gasson (NZL) 2:13.91, 21.

Men 4x100m freestyle relay: Brazil 3:12.34, 1; Australia 3:12.45,2; USA 3:12.90, 3. Also: New Zealand 3:17:74, 15 (Matthew Stanley 49.58, Sam Perry 49.35, Corey Main 49.22, Daniel Hunter 49.59).

ALL IMAGES thanks to Ian MacNicol.

The meet is live-streamed on FINAtv. https://www.finatv.live/en


For further information contact:

IAN HEPENSTALL
Media Liaison
Swimming NZ Events
Sports Media NZ Ltd
Mob +64 275 613181
E: ian@sportsmedianz.com
Skype: kiwiheps


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