The second day of the New Zealand Open was just as impressive as the first day of long course swimming, as the Kiwis added two more athletes to its world championship roster for a total of eight headed to Kazan so far.
Nathan Capp was the star of the night, breaking two national records in one night. First up was the 400 IM, which the 22-year-old won with a 4:17.72. That took down Dean Kent’s record of 4:18.20 that he swam in 2006 at the Commonwealth Games. Coming into the meet, Capp’s best time was 4:21.54. Bradley Ashby, who made the world team yesterday in the 200 IM, placed second with a 4:21.36. That’s not fast enough to get him qualified for worlds in the longer IM, however.
After racing in one of the toughest events on the schedule, Capp returned to win the 800 free with a 7:58.30. That ties him for 20th in the world with China’s Zu Lijun and breaks Dylan Dunlop-Barrett’s New Zealand record of 8:03.09 from 2011. That gives Capp three national records to go along with his 1500 free record from 2013, which might get lowered later in the meet. Capp was swimming alone for the race, as Phillip Ryan was a distant second with an 8:27.17.
Lauren Boyle also had a tough double today, winning the 200 and 1500 freestyles. First, she put up a 1:59.29 in the 200 free, then posted a 16:22.76 in the mile. Her time in the 1500 freestyle is about 16 seconds off her world-leading 16:06.72 from the Australian nationals last week.
Bobbi Gichard is just 15 years old and will board a plane to Russia to swim in her first world championships. She won the 100 backstroke with a 1:01.46, which was shy of the FINA “A” cut but well under the “B” cut to give Gichard the opportunity to get in some crucial racing experience. It was a close race to the finish, with Caroline Baddock placing second with a 1:01.70.
Matthew Stanley was also under the “B” cut in the 200 free, so he will get to race that in Kazan in addition to the 400 free which he won yesterday. Stanley posted a 1:48.39 to fall four tenths short of the “A” cut.
Glenn Snyders added the 50 breast to his world championship schedule, winning with a 27.50. He’s just outside the top 10 in the world ranking, and just .44 outside his lifetime best.
Other winners in the able-bodied competition included Helena Gasson, who won the women’s 200 fly with a 2:12.98; and Shaun Burnett broke two minutes with a 1:59.46 in the men’s 200 fly over Ashby’s 2:00.20.
Sophie Pascoe continued to shine in disabled swimming, winning the 100 backstroke with a 1:07.30 a day after her world record swim in the 100 butterfly.
2015 New Zealand Open, Day Two – Results