Swimming: Hundreds of swimmers take part in annual event

Will Johnston 

Over 100 swimmers are expected to take to the pool this weekend to compete in the annual Taranaki Winter Championships.  

One hundred and seven swimmers from across the North Island have registered for the 50-year event, which will be held at the Methanex Bell Block Aquatic Centre starting on Friday.  

The facility has snaffled the event off the Wai o Rua – Stratford Aquatic Centre after it was held there last year. 

The three-day event, which concludes on Sunday, will feature a range of disciplines from 50meter to 1500m events.   

The out-of-town clubs represented at the event are Tawa, Fielding, Waitakere, Porirua, Kiwi West, Mount Eden, and Ice Break (Palmerston North). 

Aquabladz New Plymouth swimming club head coach, Mariano Garcia Nani, who replaced Sue Southgate at the beginning of last year, said there senior and junior swimmers will have something to compete for this weekend.   

“The majority of the swimmers will be aiming to qualify to the New Zealand Short Court [event] and for some of them will be aiming to earn medals,” he said.  

“Senior swimmers will go to larger events, but junior swimmers will aim to improve their personal bests.”  

That happened last year when former Aquabladz now Auckland swimmer Monique Wieruszowski broke her own Taranaki record in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:09.34.   

Garcia Nani said Max Cave, Shyla Kennard, Jaiah Otene, Miela Gwiazdzinsk and Kayla Warmenhove are likely winners this weekend.  

In the lead-up to the event, 19 swimmers from New Plymouth and Hawera attended a senior swim camp.  

Swimming Taranaki’s regional administrator Louisa Parker, said the attendees focused on underwater work, relay starts and turns but also did yoga, whole body circuits, stretching and mindfulness, team building exercises and attended a talk by dietician Lea Stening.  

The event starts at 5:30pm on Friday, 9:15am on Saturday and 10:15am on Sunday.  

Swim brand Arena will be selling product at the pool during the event.