NZL’s Short Course Worlds Qualifying Meet Kicks Off Without Clareburt

2018 New Zealand Short Course Championships

• Tuesday, October 1st – Saturday, October 6th
• Sir Owen G. Glenn National Aquatic Centre
• SCM
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream

The 2018 New Zealand Short Course Championships kick-off tomorrow, with the nation’s top athletes vying for their spots on the roster for the Short Course World Championships taking place in China this December.

Among the top names schedule to attend are Bradlee Ashby, Daniel Hunter, Sam Perry, Hayley McIntosh and Helena Gasson. Not appearing on the psych sheets, however, is national record holder and Commonwealth Games medalist Lewis Clareburt. The 19-year-old was a last-minute addition to New Zealand’s roster for the Gold Coast, but Clareburt wound up rising to the occasion, hacking major time off his 400m IM to earn the bronze medal. We’ve reached out to find out if his not competing here this week means he will definitely not be in Hangzhou.

The Swimming New Zealand selection criteria is fairly straightforward, with the swimmers needing to meet or exceed FINA ‘A’ cuts at these championships in order to be selected for Hangzhou. If no A cut is met, then a maximum of one FINA ‘B’ cut achieving swimmer can be selected. For any swimmers who qualify for an event on the aforementioned basis, Swimming New Zealand may permit them to swim other events for which they have not qualified, provided there is an available position.

New at the championships this year is the inclusion of the women’s 1500m freestyle and men’s 800m freestyle events, coinciding with their inclusion at the next Olympic Games in 2020.