New Zealand’s brightest young star stole the spotlight on day three of the New Zealand Short Course Nationals at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre. It has been just over a month since Gabrielle Fa’amausili won the 50 backstroke at the World Junior Championships in Dubai and she has followed that up with impressive swims at the her country’s short course national championships.
The 13 year old Fa’amausili posted a 25.33 in the 50 freestyle to not only break the national age group record, but to win the event over two London Olympians Hayley Palmer and Lauren Boyle, “I’m so excited. It’s such a privilege to race people like Lauren Boyle and Hayley Palmer. It’s just great, I feel awesome,” said Fa’amausili.
“I wanted to go into every race being confident, feeling good, and just wanting to win.”
Fa’amausili came into the day with a lifetime best and New Zealand age group record of 25.86 and better it in both the prelims and the finals.
18 year old Caroline Baddock had an incredible night winning both the 200 backstroke and 100 IM in age group record times. She won the women’s 200 backstroke in a time of 2:06.76, destroying the record of 2:09.63 set by Melissa Ingram in 2003.
In the 100 IM she won the event in a time of 1:01.39, breaking her own record of 1:01.63 which she set in August. Baddock just missed the open record of 1:01.24 which is held by Hayley Palmer.
29 year old Kurt Crosland won the 200 IM posting a time of 1:58.05 keeping 17 year old Bradlee Ashby at bay as Ashby made his push in the second half of the race. Ashby had the more impressive swim though posting a 1:58.70 breaking Daniel Bell‘s age group of 2:00.61 set in 2007.
Matthew Stanley who collected a bronze in the 400 freestyle at the World Short Course Championships took that same event in a time of 3:43.59.
Paralympian Sophie Pascoe once did not fail to impress winning the women’s multi-class 100 IM in a new world record time of 1:06.68.
Full results can be found here
In the prelims result, Gabrielle swam 25.32
How about the 100 back
Girls 13 Year Olds 100 Backstroke
1 Gabrielle Fa’amausili 13 Laser Mt Eden Swimming Club-AK 1:01.67 59.92