LEWIS CLAREBURT ADDED TO SWIMMING TEAM FOR GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES

LEWIS CLAREBURT ADDED TO SWIMMING TEAM FOR GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES

The New Zealand Olympic Committee together with Swimming New Zealand has named Lewis Clareburt to the swimming team for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Hailing from Wellington’s Capital Swim Club, Gold Coast will be the first Commonwealth Games for Clareburt who will compete in the men’s 400m individual medley.

The 18-year-old had a breakout 2017 which included eight gold medals at the New Zealand Age Group Championships where he also equaled Danyon Loader’s 25-year-old record in the 200m freestyle.

Clareburt also won three gold and four silver medals at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas and capped off the year by winning Junior Sportsman of the year at the Aotearoa Māori Sports Awards.

“I am really excited to be representing New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I’ve been training really hard all summer as if I was going to the games, so I’m relieved that it’s paid off. I’m pumped to get over to the Gold Coast and race.”

Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns is delighted to have another swimmer added to the team.

“Lewis has demonstrated the ability to perform with distinction at the Games and deserves the opportunity to represent New Zealand at this pinnacle event.”

“Lewis joins a strong New Zealand team and we look forward to seeing them all compete on the Gold Coast in April.”

NZOC CEO Kereyn Smith extended her congratulations to Clareburt.

"Lewis is a very exciting young talent and has benefited from the performance pathway provided by the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2017. We are excited to have Lewis in the team and can't wait to watch him compete.

Clareburt was selected as part of the final round of individual athlete allocation quotas.

The addition brings the number of swimming representatives in the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team to 18.

The naming takes the total number of athletes selected to the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team to 115.

ENDS

For more information contact:
Lewis Hampton
Communications and Content Executive
New Zealand Olympic Committee
+64 27 451 8090
lewis@olympic.org.nz 

OR

Johnson Raela
Swimming New Zealand Media
johnson@swimming.org.nz
+64 21 0271 7007

About the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games:

It’s hoped 250 athletes will represent New Zealand at Gold Coast 2018, making it our largest ever Commonwealth Games team.
 
New Zealand athletes are aiming to compete in 18 sports (including four para disciplines) with selection to take place from November 2017 – March 2018.
 
For the first-time women’s rugby sevens will be on the programme as well as beach volleyball. Basketball is back on the programme after a 12 year hiatus.
 
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be the largest sporting event Australia will see this decade and the biggest sporting spectacle the Gold Coast has ever seen.
 
The games will be contested between April 4th – 15^th 2018, with more than 6,600 athletes and team officials to take part.