Tasmanian swimmers shine at New Zealand championships

The state sent 15 swimmers who returned with three gold medals, five silver and five bronze plus nine individual Tasmanian records and four in relays.

Tasmanians reached 29 finals and set 49 personal best times.

South Esk's Abbie King won silver medals in the 15-year girls' 100-metre freestyle (57.03) and 400m individual medley (5:03:13) plus bronze medals in the 200m IM (2:23.87) and 200m freestyle in which she also set a Tasmanian record of 2:04.11.

In the same age group, Launceston Aquatic Club's Isabella Muldoon won a silver medal in the 50m butterfly in a Tasmanian open record time of 27.61 and a bronze in the 100m fly (1:02.49).

King and Muldoon also combined to help claim four Tasmanian relay records in the 16/U girls' 400m freestyle (3:54.54) with LAC's Abi Evans and Taylor Brock; the open 400m medley (4:20.53) with Evans and HC's Jessalyn Potter; the 16/U 200m medley (1:59.43) with Evans and Brock; and the open 200m freestyle (1:45.98) withBrock and Potter.

Other individual medallists included Hobart Aquatic Club's Ava Mignanelli who won gold in the 13-year girls' 1500m (in a Tasmanian record of 17:37.67) and the 800m free (9:25.26) plus silver in the 400m freestyle (4:29.91).

HC Swm Club's William Botterill-James won gold in the 14-year boys' 200m fly (2:14.13): Potter claimed silver in the 17-18-year 100m breaststroke (1:13.63) and bronze in the 50m (33.96); and Daniel Shilcock (HC Swim Club) won bronze in the 17-year boys' 200m breast (2:19.42) and added more Tasmanian records in the 100m (56.51) and 50m backstroke (26.01).

Coached by Australian Tokyo Olympic coach Wayne Lawes plus HC's Rachel Brennemo and LAC's Trent McLaughlin, the team also included South Esk's Ava Blundstone and Blake Stretton, LAC's Ryan Schieler, HC's Daniel Francis and Eli Jones, HAC's Elsa Pearsall Samuel Nadler, of Sandy Bay.