Swimming: Boyle, Snyders emphasise class

Lauren Boyle and Glenn Snyders added further Commonwealth Games qualifying performances on the second night of the New Zealand championships in Auckland yesterday.

Boyle clocked the sixth-fastest time this year to dominate the 800m freestyle, following her effort in qualifying in the 200m freestyle on the opening night.

Snyders also backed up from victory under the qualifying mark in the 200m breaststroke on Tuesday night with a win under the Glasgow mark in the 100m breaststroke.

In fact, the United States-based North Shore swimmer bettered the mark in 1min 00.52sec in the morning heats and reduced that to 1min 00.39sec in the final, the fifth-fastest time in the world this year and fourth-fastest in the Commonwealth.

Snyders was satisfied to improve from heat to final and go under the standard twice, but knows he needs to lift further.

''I wanted to come to these trials basically to qualify and save the best for Glasgow,'' he said.

''It was good to get it done this morning and tonight was about seeing what I could do.''

Boyle (United, Auckland) was also pleased with her solid performance, clocking 8min 27.48sec to win the 800m freestyle in the sixth-fastest time in the world this year.

The 26-year-old reeled off laps of 1min 03sec for the first 500m before easing to 1min 04sec for the final 300m.

''It's always good to get a qualifying time, so I'm pleased with that,'' Boyle said.

Earlier, brilliant teenage prospect Corey Main (Howick Pakuranga) and 29-year-old Kurt Crosland (Neptune, Dunedin) duelled it out in the men's 200m backstroke.

Main, who is on scholarship at the University of Florida, edged his way to victory in 2min 00.65sec, with Crosland 0.2sec behind, but 2sec off the qualifying mark for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Both have a further chance of qualification today, Crosland in the 100m backstroke and Main in the 200m freestyle. Outstanding juniors

Gabrielle Fa'amausili (Roskill) and Bobbi Gichard (Greendale) fought a head-to-head battle in the women's 100m backstroke.

Fa'amausili, the junior world champion over 50m backstroke, was ahead at the turn in 29.77sec and out-touched Gichard in 1min 01.32sec.

Both went under the qualifying time for August's Pan Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast that comprises full-strength teams from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia.

Wellington's Samantha Lee won the 100m butterfly in a personal best 59.52sec to edge out record-holder Sophia Batchelor (Aquagym) and Tuesday's 50m butterfly winner, Laura Quilter (North Shore).

Men's 400m freestyle winner and Glasgow qualifier Matt Stanley added his second title of the meet in the men's 100m freestyle.

Sprint specialist Nielsen Varoy (West Auckland) set the pace in the 50m but was swamped late.

Stanley (Matamata) won in 50.27sec from Swimming NZ high performance training mates Steven Kent (Coast, 50.54sec) and Ewan Jackson (Howick Pakuranga, 50.83sec).

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