New Zealand Spring Competition: Moss Burmester Posts Quick 200 Fly Time

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, October 1. NEW Zealand's leading swimmer Moss Burmester saved his best until last in taking out the 200m butterfly on the final night of the New Zealand Spring Competition in Christchurch tonight.

The world short course champion powered home over the final 75m to win in 1:52.85, just over a second outside his New Zealand record set in winning the world title last year.

In doing so he earned 957 FINA points, the highest quality performance by any swimmer at the championships, which was a good reward for the swimmer from the International Training Centre (ITC).

It marked a strong night for the ITC swimmers at the QEII Leisure Centre. Corney Swanepoel showed his versatility to win the 50m breaststroke while Tash Hind, Melissa Ingram and Amaka Gessler made a clean sweep in the 200m freestyle.

Swanepoel was also second in the 50m freestyle to fellow Beijing Olympian William Benson (North Shore) and Ingram was second to Emily Thomas (North Shore) in the 50m backstroke.

Wellington teenager Samantha Lee capped a fine meet when she broke her own open and age group record in winning the 100m butterfly in a slick 59.02 over Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley, Southland). Lee finished with three New Zealand age group records in all the butterfly distances.

The other titles went to Tim Dawson (United, Auckland) who capped a fine week with victory in the 100m individual medley, Grace Francis (North Shore) in the 200m individual medley and Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (Bell Block) in the 1500m freestyle.

The 200m and 400m freestyle winner, Andrew McMillan (North Shore) made the pace for the first half of the 200m butterfly before Burmester loomed large to take control of the race.

He pushed clear in emphatic fashion to claim the win in a classy time given the squad are still in full training throughout the competition.

"I am really happy with that time," Burmester said. "I didn't feel very good although I was quite pleased with the time. It didn't seem to go together as well as I would have liked.

"I think I was a bit rushed and I felt like I was pushing it. I guess though when you get a time like that you can't really complain.

"The meet was only an indicator of where we are at really as we have trained right through. I am glad though that it is the last meet with the shiny suits. I will be more than happy to see the back of them. I might make a scarecrow out of mine."

Hind, 20, showed her continued improvement to take out the 200m freestyle and add to the 400m individual medley won earlier in the meet. She was in control but had to hold off a fierce finish from her training mates Ingram and Gessler.

Her time of 1:57.28 was the only other swim tonight to earn over the 900 FINA point mark.

There were a further eight New Zealand age group records set, bringing the total to 34 for the competition. The remarkable Christchurch swimmer, Sophia Batchelor (AquaGym) accounted for three of them in the 200m freestyle, 50m backstroke and the 100m butterfly. The 14 year old completed an outstanding meet with eight new national records.

The other age group records set tonight went to Corey Main (Howick Pakuranga) in the 200m butterfly and 50m freestyle, Chloe Francis (North Shore) in the 200m freestyle, Jeffrey Arona-Tuifana'e in the 50m breaststroke and Lee in the 100m butterfly.

Main, 14, finished with six new national age group marks and Francis, 16, set four new records.

Open results:
Men, 200m butterfly: Moss Burmester (ITC North Shore) 1:52.85, 1; Andrew McMillan (North Shore) 1:54.42, 2; Daniel Lester (Queensland) 1:56.60, 3. 50m breaststroke: Corney Swanepoel (ITC North Shore) 27.71, 1; Starn Simpson (West Auckland) 28.57, 2; Eric Abba (North Shore) 28.58, 3. 50m freestyle: William Benson (North Shore) 22.21, 1; Swanepoel 22.27, 2; Matt Thomas (North Shore) 22.33, 3. 100m individual medley: Tim Dawson (United, Auckland) 54.41, 1; John Gatfield (SwimZone, Wgtn) 55.26, 2; Kurt Crosland (Neptune) 56.28, 3. 1500m freestyle: Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (Bell Block) 15:06.04, 1; Shane Patience (Waves, Otago) 15:14.85, 2; Matthew Terry (Queensland) 15:21.22, 3. Women, 200m freestyle: Tash Hind (ITC Capital)1:57.28, 1; Melissa Ingram (ITC North Shore) 1:57.72, 2; Amaka Gessler (ITC Aquagym) 1:57.72, 3.
50m backstroke: Emily Thomas (North Shore) 27.61, 1; Ingram 28.27, 2; Jessie Blundell (North Shore) 28.68, 3. 200m individual medley: Grace Francis (North Shore) 2:15.48, 1; Carmen Ooi (West Auckland) 2:15.88, 2; Katie Kenneally (Neptune, Otago) 2:16.47, 3 100m butterfly: Samantha Lee (Capital, Wgtn) 59.02, 1 (NZ Record); Natalie Wiegersma (Waverley, Southland) 59.59, 2; Charlotte Webby (Bell Block) 1:01.79, 3.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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