Dunedin swimmer Caitlin Deans could probably not have got any closer to qualifying for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
Deans (16), a year 12 pupil at Columba College, picked up two golds and three silvers at the national age grade championships in Wellington this week.
But unfortunately her big goal of qualifying for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii was just - and only just - beyond her.
She won her first gold in the 400m freestyle but her time was 0.2sec outside the qualifying time.
She won by half the length of the pool, so not having someone pushing her cost her some time.
In the 800m on Thursday night, she swam well and recorded a time of 9.00.48 to win the event.
But the qualifying time was 9.00.41, so she missed out on qualifying by just 0.07sec, about the length of a fingernail.
The age group championships was the only qualifying meet to make the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii.
The Neptune club swimmer did have the honour of being awarded an Outward Bound scholarship through Swimming New Zealand.
The championships concluded last night.
