Swimming: Crosland breaks Loader record

Kurt Crosland (Neptune) demonstrated his class by breaking Danyon Loader's Otago 100m freestyle record in Wellington this week.

Crosland (29) finished fifth in a personal best time of 49.17sec to take 0.13sec off Loader's 1995 Otago short course record.

''I've been after that record for the last 12 months and it shows that I'm on the right track,'' Crosland said yesterday.

''But it's not the event I'm chasing for the Commonwealth Games. The record was a bonus. I'm after the backstroke and breaking Danyon's record has given me a lot of confidence.''

It has been a week of personal best times and record breaking for Crosland at the New Zealand short course championships.

In the last two days, he has won three gold medals and come close to breaking two New Zealand short course records set by Commonwealth Games silver medallist Daniel Bell (Taranaki) in 2009.

He was just 0.10sec short of the record when he swam the 50m backstroke in 23.87sec in his leg of the relay. It was an Otago record.

In the 100m individual medley, his winning time of 53.88sec was just 0.30sec short of Bell's record. Crosland beat Bell in the 50m backstroke final that he won in 24.08sec. Bell was timed at 24.83sec.

His other gold medal in the 200m individual medley was won in an Otago record time of 1min 58.05sec. He also broke the Otago record for the 50m backstroke with his relay time of 23.87sec.

Crosland is the senior member of coach Gennadiy Labara's Swim Dunedin squad that has won 35 medals - 18 gold, eight silver and nine bronze - after four days of the championships.

Columba College pupil Caitlin Deans (Neptune) broke her second national record of the championships in the girls aged 13 grade when she won the 400m freestyle in 4min 23.40sec. She broke it in the heats and beat it again in the final. She was third in the 200m individual medley.

Andrew Trembath (Neptune) added three more medals to his tally in the boys aged 16 grade.

He won the gold medal in the 50m breaststroke and the 50m backstroke and was third in the 50m butterfly.

Han Zhang (Neptune) won his fifth title of the champs in the boys aged 15 50m breaststroke.

Kate Godfrey (Neptune) won a silver medal in the open women's 200m backstroke and bronze in the 200m individual medley in the open women's grade. Stef Gillespie (Zenith) won a bronze medal in the open women's 400m freestyle and Courtland Ellis (Neptune) bronze in the 100m individual medley.

Bronze medals were won by the Neptune men's 15 and under and 16 and over relay teams.

Swimmers from other Otago squads added four medals in the last two days.

Campbell Pearson (Alexandra) won a silver medal in the boys aged 15 50m backstroke in 27.60sec and Patrick Harris (Queenstown) was third in the boys aged 15 50m backstroke in 27.95sec. Hamish McLean (Wanaka) won bronze medals in the mens AWD 200m individual medley (3min 47.45sec) and 50m butterfly (51.70sec).

After four days of the championships, Otago swimmers have won 43 medals - 18 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze.

 

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