Dunedin Olympian Caitlin Deans created a little bit of magic at the second stop of the world cup in Westmont yesterday, winning bronze in the women’s 1500m freestyle.
Deans finished in 15min 42.18sec in a massive personal best by 7.80sec to continue her sensational form this season.
She lowered her own Otago record of 15min 49.98sec she set at the national short-course championships last month.
She was joined by former Dunedin swimmer Erika Fairweather, who won silver in a personal best of 15min 30.22sec, slashing 19.47sec off her previous mark.
Australian Lani Pallister stormed home to gold in 15min 13.83sec.
Deans also finished sixth in the women’s 400m freestyle with a personal best of 4min 0.64sec. She also had a personal best in the 200m freestyle with 1min 56.11sec for 12th overall.
Fairweather collected another silver in the 400m freestyle, finishing in 3min 57.99sec, and broke her own national short course record in the 200m, clocking 1min 52.66sec — shaving 0.41sec off her previous record — to finish fourth.
Australian Mollie O’Callaghan set a world record with her lightning-quick time of 1min 49.77sec to win gold in the 200m freestyle.
Pallister also set a world cup record in the 400m, touching the wall in 3min 52.42sec.
Kiwi Cameron Gray lowered his national short-course 50m freestyle record with 21.45sec to finish 11th.
Swimmers now head to Toronto for the final stop of the world cup this weekend. Deans and Fairweather are scheduled to compete in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle.
