SNZ Events
Epic Swim
High Performance
SNZ Events
Epic Swim
High Performance
Wellington’s Thomas Watkins was the standout performer on day 2 of the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Suva, Fiji.
In the morning heats, Watkins (Capital) slashed his 400m individual medley (IM) personal best by 4.42s to finish in 4:29.64s, enough to qualify for the A-final.
Watkins set his previous personal best (4:34.22s) at the Aon NZ Opens last month and has had a solid build up to this meet and felt he could’ve gone faster.
“I actually felt like I could’ve gone 4min 28sec today, but tonight in the final I went out too fast in the butterfly and didn’t have anything left to get me home,” says Watkins.
In the final, American brothers Carson (4:14.73,) and Jake (4:15.78s) Foster won gold and silver with Masayuki Otake taking the bronze in 4:17.79s. Watkins finished 7th in 4:34.06s.
Lochlainn O’Connor (Greerton) posted a personal best (4:42.31s) to qualify for the 400m IM b-final where he finished 16th overall in 4:38.47s, smashing his morning PB by 3.86s.
Matthew Holder (United) was the only other Kiwi to swim in an individual A-final. Holder finished 8th in the Men's 100m breaststroke A-final with a time of 1:04.37s.
The gold medal was won by Gabe Mastromatteo (CAN) in 1:01.27s, pulling away from fastest qualifier Daniel Roy (USA) down the home stretch. Roy finished in 1:01.85s with Yamato Fukasawa (JPN) third in 1:02.60s.
In the men’s 100m freestyle, Michael Pickett (North Shore) was disappointed in his morning heat time of 51.36s, which was enough to qualify for the B-final.
Determined to make amends, Pickett flew down the first 50m to turn second in 24.38s before finishing 4th in 50.89s.
Earlier in the day Tyron Henry (HPK) finished 17th overall with a time of 51.61s.
In the women’s 100m freestyle heats Amadika Atkinson (North Shore) and Chelsey Edwards (SwimZone) dead heated in 57.08s, enough to both scrape into the B-final. Edwards managed to go 0.02s faster than her morning swim (57.06s), with Atkinson finishing further back in 57.88s.
Earlier in the day, Erika Fairweather (Neptune) finished in 57.55s and Kyla Alexander (United) 59.63s, a new personal best.
Ciara Smith (Northwave) improved on her morning heat (1:12.12s) in the women’s 100m breaststroke B-final. Smith turned at the halfway mark in the lead, eventually finishing 4th in 1:10.80s.
Hannah Bates (Aquagym) and Gina McCarthy (Hillcrest) qualified for the women’s 400m IM B-final after being well off their best in the morning.
McCarthy improved by almost six seconds to finish 15th overall in 5:00.78s, with Bates one place back (16th) in 5:00.90s.
In the final event of the session, the 4x200m freestyle relays, both New Zealand teams finished 5th in the fastest final.
The women’s quartet (Chelsey Edwards, Erika Fairweather, Amadika Atkinson, Eve Thomas) finished in 8:18.91s, and the men’s (Zac Reid, Quinton Hurley, Lochlainn O’Connor, Tyron Henry) team, 7.37.70s.
SESSION 3 HEATS RESULTS
Women’s 100m Freestyle
Amadika Atkinson. Time: 57.08s. *qualifies for b-final.
Chelsey Edwards. Time: 57.08s. *qualifies for b-final.
Erika Fairweather. Time: 57.55s.
Kyla Alexander. Time: 59.63s. PB.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Michael Pickett. Time: 51.36s. *qualifies for b-final.
Tyron Henry. Time: 51.61s.
Quinton Hurley. Time: 54.36s.
Paddy Baylis. Time: 56.07s. PB
Women’s 100m Breaststroke.
Ciara Smith. Time: 1:12.12s. *qualifies for b-final.
Men’s 100m Breaststroke.
Matthew Holder. Time: 1:04.84s. *qualifies for A-final.
Women’s 400m IM.
Hannah Bates. Time: 5:02.91s. *qualifies for b-final.
Gina McCarthy. Time: 5:06.14s. *qualifies for b-final.
Men’s 400m IM.
Thomas Watkins. Time: 4.29.64s. PB. *qualifies for A-final.
Lochlainn O’Connor. Time: 4:42.31s. PB. *qualifies for b-final.
SESSION 4 FINALS RESULTS
Women’s 100m Freestyle
B-FINAL - Amadika Atkinson. Time: 57.88s, Chelsey Edwards. Time: 57.06s.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
B-FINAL - Michael Pickett. Time: 50.89s.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke.
B-FINAL - Ciara Smith. Time: 1:10.80s.
Men’s 100m Breaststroke.
A-FINAL - Matthew Holder. Time: 1:04.37s.
Women’s 400m IM.
B-FINAL - Hannah Bates. Time: 5:00.90s, Gina McCarthly. Time: 5:00.78s.
Men’s 400m IM.
B-FINAL - Lochlainn O’Connor. Time: 4:38.47s. PB
A-FINAL - Thomas Watkins. Time: 4:34.06s.
4x200m Freestyle Relay.
NZ Women’s - 1) Chelsey Edwards, 2) Erika Fairweather, 3) Amadika Atkinson, 4) Eve Thomas. Time: 8:18.91s.
NZ Men’s - 1) Zac Reid, 2) Quinton Hurley, 3) Lochlainn O’Connor, 4) Tyron Henry. Time: 7:37.70s.
Important Links for the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships
