DOYLE AND HUNTER WIN 100M FREESTYLE CROWNS

Carina Doyle and Daniel Hunter won the coveted blue ribbon 100m freestyle titles on the final night of the 2018 Aon New Zealand Open Championships.

2018 Commonwealth Games representative Doyle (North Shore), turned first at the halfway mark before the rest of the field charged in the final 25m. Doyle was first to the wall in 56.67s followed by Chelsey Edwards (SwimZone) in 56.89s and Rebecca Moynihan (Raumati) in 56.94s.

Hunter (Howick Pakuranga) who won gold in the 50m final was the hot favourite in the longer sprint and showed his dominance by establishing half a body length lead in the first half of the race.

In the closing stages it was fifteen-year-old Michael Pickett (North Shore) who started to close in on Hunter, eventually finishing second in 50.61s to Hunter’s 50.01s. Bayley Main (Howick Pakuranga) was third in 50.75s.

Pickett’s time was also a new personal best and 15-years national age group record. Tyron Henry (Howick Pakuranga) also set a 16-years national age group record, finishing fourth in 50.81s.

Zac Reid and Emma Robinson dominated the 1500m freestyle events tonight.

Reid (Aquabladz) won his third open title of the meet, finishing in 15:25.64s and breaking Kane Radford’s 18-years national age group record. Reid also set a national age group record in winning the men’s 800m title earlier in the week.

Robinson (Capital) who also won the women’s 800m freestyle, dominated the 1500m field. Robinson’s winning time of 16:26.88s was also well within the selection time for the Pan Pacific Championships. Both women’s distance events at the Tokyo event are timed finals.

Charlotte Webby (Aquabladz) who has already qualified for the Pan Pacific Championships in the women’s 10km open water event, was second behind Robinson in 15:53.09s. Gina McCarthy (Hillcrest) was third in 17:38.48s.

Tama Solouota of Howick Pakuranga, has had a stand out meet. Solouota won his sixth open title in the men’s 100m freestyle Para multi-class in a time of 1:00.09s.

David Beck (Mt Albert Grammar) who has played second fiddle to Solouota all week, finally got a win over his competitor in the 50m butterfly Para multi-class final. Hamish McLean (Wanaka) was second in 37.18s and Solouota third (30.93s).

Tupou Neiufi capped off a successful meet, winning the final two gold medals in the women’s 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle para multi-class.

Results for the Para swimming athletes are calculated by the closest percentage to the world record of each event.

In the 50m breaststroke events, Ciara Smith (Northwave) and Julian Layton (Heretaunga) missed out on a clean sweep of women’s and men’s breaststroke titles after winning the 100m and 200m titles.

Kaylee Jackson (QEII) upstaged Smith by winning women’s title in 32.47s. Smith was second in 32.80s. Bronagh Ryan was third (33.30s).

The men’s final was a much closer affair as the trio of Josh Pickett (Matamata) 29.02s, Matthew Holder (United) 29.09s, and Eliot Lundon-Moore (Aquabladz) 29.28s, swept the finishers medals with Layton and George Schroder (Hokitika) finishing in fourth equal.

Layton’s efforts in 200m breaststroke earned him the Harold Pettit Trophy for swimmer of the meet with the most FINA points. Layton earned 892 FINA points in winning the men’s title.

Finals Results: https://bit.ly/2tZVSG1
Club Points:https://bit.ly/2KzKomU