Clareburt Gives New Zealand Its First Gwangju Medal In Record-Setting Way

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
• Meet site
• Competition Schedule
• FinaTV Live Stream
• Entry Lists
• Results

Yesterday we put the spotlight on 20-year-old Lewis Clareburt as New Zealand’s last hope for its first finalist here at these World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, but the man did the country one better by becoming a medalist

After having claimed the 5th seed out of the 400m IM heats this morning in a time of 4:14.56, already close to his National Record of 4:14.27, Clareburt blasted a huge lifetime best of 4:12.07 to take bronze behind winner Daiya Seto of Japan and silver medalist Jay Litherland of America.

Clareburt took bronze while competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a competition to which his name was added at the last minute. The teen performed impressively under pressure to land on the podium, as well as follow-up with the NR for 5th at last year’s Pan Pacs.

The teen has moved from 4:18.79 to 4:14.27 to now 4:12.07 in just the span of a year.

Splits from tonight’s 4:12.07, New Zealand Record:

Splits from 4:14.27 from Pan Pacs:

As such, on the final day, New Zealand added itself to the medal table, joining Australia as Oceanic nations having medaled here in Gwangju.

2	Australia	5	9	5	19

New Zealand	0	0	1	1