Dunedin swimmers have made a sizzling start to the South Island championships in Blenheim.
After the first two days of the meet, Dunedin swimmers had won 23 gold, 15 silver and eight bronze medals.
One of the star performers on the opening day was Caitlin Deans, who broke three Otago records. She also recorded a time (9min 5.74sec) faster than the New Zealand 13-year-old 800m freestyle record, which cannot be ratified due to the meet not having electronic timing, required for New Zealand records to be accepted.
Deans' three gold medals and Otago age group short course records include the 800m record, the 400m individual medley record, previously held by Phoebe Williams, in 5min 11.22sec, and the 200m freestyle record in 2min 8.17sec.
On the second day, four more Otago records were broken.
Courtland Ellis broke Tame Govaerts' 12 & 13 100m freestyle record of 57.13sec with a time of 56.96sec, as well as Govaerts' 50m breaststroke record of 32.06sec with a time of 32.05sec.
Thomas Heaton broke Adam Simpson's 2008 1500m freestyle record of 16min 9.97sec with a time of 15min 53.97sec.
Han Zhang broke Sam Caradus' 1998 14 & 15 200m butterfly record of 2min 10.52sec with a time of 2min 10.42sec.
The Dunedin squad, coached by Gennadiy Labara, features 36 swimmers from Neptune, one from Zenith, one from Kiwi and one from Taieri.
Medallists after the first two days were:
Gold: Thomas Heaton (13-14 400m IM, 4.43.45; 200m freestyle, 1.58.90), Michael Gray (15-16 400m IM, 4.38.85), Matthew Glassford (17 & over 400m IM, 4.30.41), Kurt Crosland (17 & over 50m butterfly, 25.28; 50m backstroke, 25.04), Han Zhang (15-16 200m breaststroke, 2.25.39), Courtland Ellis (13-14 200m breaststroke, 2.34.13), Otago men (17 & over medley relay, 1.44.67), Thomas Heaton (13-14 year 1500m freestyle), Michael Gray (15-16 year 1500m freestyle), Jeremy Tasker (17 & over 1500m freestyle, 200m butterfly), Kurt Crosland (17 & over 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke & 200m IM), Han Zhang (15-16 200 butterfly, 50m breaststroke & 200 IM), Courtland Ellis (13-14 year 200m IM), Caitlin Deans (13 & 14 year 200m butterfly), Otago male 17 & over 400m medley relay.
Silver medals: Han Zhang (15-16 year 400m IM, 4.39.22), Jeremy Tasker (17 & over 400m IM, 4.33.71), Rhys Applegarth (17 & over 200m freestyle, 1.53.05), Matthew Glassford (17 & over 200m breaststroke, 2.20.75), Esther Fogarty (17 & over 200m breaststroke, 2.49.31), Nick Tyrrell (17 & over 50m backstroke, 27.11), Stefannie Gillespie (17 & over 200m freestyle, 2.04.35, 800m freestyle, 8.53.19, Nick Tyrrell (17 & over 200m IM), Vicki Clarke (13 & 14 200m butterfly), Benjamin Gray (17 & over 200m butterfly), Caitlin Deans (13 & 14 100m freestyle & 200m IM), Courtland Ellis (13-14 year 50m breaststroke), Kurt Crosland (17 & over 50m breaststroke).
Bronze medals: Courtland Ellis (13-14 year 400m IM, 4.56.73), Benjamin Gray (17 & over 400m IM, 4.42.47), Ben McMahon (13 & 14 50m butterfly, 28.85), Michael Gray (15-16 year 200m freestyle, 1.57.03), Anna Lindsay (13 & 14 year 800m freestyle, 9.46.47), Stefannie Gillespie (17 & over 200m butterfly), Robert Murray (17 & over 200m butterfly), Matthew Glassford (17 & over 50m breaststroke).
