Andrew Trembath snared two gold medals and a bronze to cap a successful week at the national age group championships in Wellington at the weekend.
Trembath's gold medals in the boys 17 18 years 50m and 200m backstroke on the final two nights of finals meant the Neptune swimmer finished the championships with three gold, a silver and a bronze.
While the meet doubled as a junior world championships qualifier, Trembath is too old to compete in Singapore later in the year, and was solely chasing competition.
The 18 year old won the 50m backstroke _ his specialty event _ in 26.60sec, while he touched the wall first in the 200m in 2min 6.43sec.
He was involved in a thrilling finish in the 400m individual medley but had to settle for bronze behind Wilrich Coetzee (North Shore) and Hamish Trlin (Capital). Trembath touched the wall in 4min 33.99sec, 1.04sec behind Coetzee and 0.18sec behind Trlin.
Caitlin Deans (Neptune), who won silver in the 200m and 400m freestyle and bronze in the 400m individual medley last week, added an elusive gold to her tally in the girls 15 years 800m freestyle.
Deans won the draining 800m race in 9min 2.96sec, well clear of second placed Ruby Adsett (Napier), who finished in 9min 10.25sec.
Courtland Ellis (Neptune), who won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal last week, added silver to his haul in the boys 15 years 100m freestyle. He clocked 54.36sec but never seriously threatened Sam McKenzie (Tasman), who won in 51.93sec.
Isobel Ryan (Oamaru) snared bronze in the girls 17 18 years 100m freestyle to add to the gold she won in the 50m freestyle last week.
The final could hardly have been closer _ the first three swimmers finished within 0.03sec of each other.
Ryan touched the wall in 58.10sec and second placed Maggie Burns (Capital) clocked 58.08sec, just 0.01sec behind winner Paige Flynn (St Peter's Swimming Academy).
Jaxson MacDonald Piner (Oamaru) won Otago's other individual medal from the final two days of competition, claiming bronze in the boys 14 years 100m butterfly in 1min 1.38sec.
Otago's boys under 15 400m medley relay team of Ellis, MacDonald Piner, Tame Govaerts and Ben Carr won silver in its relay. In total, Otago swimmers won eight gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals.
