Monique Wieruszowski, 15, Adds Second National Record as New Zealand Finalizes Worlds Team

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Monique Wieruszowski; Photo Courtesy: Swimming NZ

Monique Wieruszowski, 15, Adds Second National Record as New Zealand Finalizes Worlds Team

For the second time this week, 15-year-old Monique Wieruszowski re-set a New Zealand breaststroke record at the national championships in Auckland.

Wieruszowski, swimming for Aquabladz, won the women’s 50 breaststroke at the 2023 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships. Her time of 30.87 set the national record and is the eighth fastest time in the world this season. It joins her national mark in the 100 breast, 1:08.74, set earlier this week.

Wieruszowski will compete at both the World Championships and World Junior Championships this summer.

“This is a bit of a dream for me,” she told Swimming NZ. “I’ve been working really hard, training every day and really working on my starts. I definitely didn’t think I was going go that fast, it means so much to me.”

The two records Wieruszowski took down were the oldest on the Kiwi books: The 100 breast dated to Anabelle Carey’s time of 1:09.26 in 2006; the 50 had stood since 2005 in the hands of Zoe Baker at 31.21.

Michael Pickett also set a national record in the men’s 50 free, the 20-year-old winning in 22.11 seconds. He bested Cameron Gray, who earlier this week downing the men’s 100 free mark off the front of a relay. Gray won the men’s 100 free on the final day of the meet in 48.70, rallying past Pickett.

Erika Fairweather, who posted the No. 6 all-time result in the 400 free earlier in the week, nearly chased down the national mark in the 800 free, going 8:18.00. It’s .35 seconds shy of the enduring mark set by Lauren Boyle at the 2015 World Championships. Fairweather would then add a third title at the meet by going 54.61 in the 100 free.

She joins Andrew Jeffcoat, who swept all three men’s backstroke events, as a triple champion at the meet. Lewis Clareburt added four titles with a time of 2:00.24 in the men’s 200 fly.

Over the five-day meet, 11 New Zealand swimmers attained 15 A cuts for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. The Aquablacks also qualified a mixed free relay, men’s 400 medley relay and a women’s 800 free relay.

New Zealand will also send seven swimmers to the World Para Championships, headed by Sophie Pascoe.

New Zealand World Aquatics Championships Squad

Lewis Clareburt: 200 IM, 400 IM, men’s medley relay
Chelsey Edwards: mixed free relay
Erika Fairweather: 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 800 free relay, mixed free relay
Michael Pickett: 50 free
Zac Reid: 400 free
Eve Thomas: 400 free, 800 free, 1,500 free, 800 free relay
Caitlin Deans: 1,500 free, 800 free relay
Cameron Gray: 50 fly, 400 medley relay, mixed free relay
Andrew Jeffcoat: 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, 400 medley relay
Carter Swift: mixed free relay
Hazel Ouwehand: 50 fly
Joshua Gilbert: 400 medley relay
Luan Grobbelaar: 400 IM
Summer Osborne: 800 free relay
Monique Wieruszowski: 50 breast

World Para Swimming Championships Team

Sophie Pascoe: 50 free, 100 free, 400 Mixed Medley Relay, 400 Mixed Freestyle Relay
Tupou Neiufi: 100 back, 50 free, 100 free, 400 Mixed Medley Relay
Jesse Reynolds: 100 back, 400 Mixed Medley Relay, 400 Mixed Freestyle Relay Squad
Cameron Leslie: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 back, 400 Mixed Freestyle Relay Squad
Lili-Fox Mason: 100 fly, 400 free, 400 Mixed Freestyle Relay
Gabriella Smith: 400 free, 100 breast, 200 IM 400 Mixed Freestyle Relay
Joshua Willmer: 100 breast, 400 Mixed Medley Relay

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