Lewis Clareburt Sets 400 Free Record at New Zealand Swimming Championships

Lewis Clareburt New York Breakers ISL by Mike Lewis D5D_7008

Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL

Lewis Clareburt Sets 400 Free Record at New Zealand Swimming Championships

Lewis Clareburt took down the 12-year-old national record at the New Zealand Championships on Thursday.

Clareburt went 3:46.85, slashing near a quarter-second off the 3:47.09 that had stood as the national mark from Matthew Stanley since 2012. It’s an Olympic B cut for the 24-year-old, just .07 shy of the auto qualification time.

Zac Reid stuck with Clareburt most of the way, finishing second in 3:48.61, which is seventh tenths shy of the B cut.

“I was so happy with that swim,” Clareburt told Swimming NZ. “Zac and I have had some unreal battles in the 400m over the years and I’m proud of us both going in and attacking it. The game plan was to go out fast and try hold on which I did but the legs were feeling it for sure.”

That swim opened the finals session on the third night at Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre and proved to be the biggest moment of finals. Prelims, though, packed a significant swim thanks to Hazel Ouwehand.

The 24-year-old lowered her national record in the women’s 100 butterfly, going 57.43. She had gone 57.76 for the record last month, which was also an A cut.

“I really wanted to do the time this morning and get that weight off my shoulders,” Ouwehand said. “I’d swum it last month so I knew I had it in me. I felt like jelly right before getting on the block, the last 15-20m hurt like hell and I’m so tired now but I’m so, so happy with that.”

Ouwehand was slower at night in 58.27 but still more than a second clear of Nikki Venema to win the event.

Erika Fairweather, the reigning World Champion, delivered a composed and easy 4:02.35 to win the women’s 400 free. She was just shy of three seconds behind her pace from Doha earlier this year. Eve Thomas was also under the Paris cut in 4:06.41.

Josh Gilbert completed the breaststroke double to win the 200 in 2:13.00. He held off a charge from Clareburt, who was second in 2:14.10. Brearna Crawford won the women’s 20 breast in 2:29.87, though she was .76 shy of her national record from last November.

Harland Finn improved his 18-year-old national record in the 50 back, going 24.97 to win the event. He had been 25.11 last month. Zac Dell was second. National record-holder Andrew Jeffcoat didn’t swim the event.

Cameron Gray added another national crown in the 100 fly, going 52.53 to edge out Ben Littlejohn’s 53.00. Gabi Fa’amausili won the women’s 50 back in 28.31.

Lili-Fox Mason went 4:58.00 in the multi-class women’s 400 freestyle to earn a Paralympic qualification cut in S10. Asher Smith-Franklin set an S14 national record in the men’s 400 free, a race that saw Jack Bugler rewrite the S19 mark and Luka Willems take the S18record.

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