Sophie Gibson is one Queenstown swimmer who has reaped the benefits since the local pool was opened for 12 months in the year.
The pool used to be closed in the winter months but has been open for 12 months over the past two years.
In the past, Queenstown swimmers started behind the eight ball and were always in catch-up mode during the summer season.
Gibson (13), a pupil at Wakatipu High School, is a beneficiary of the new system and has started the summer swimming season in style.
At the recent Auckland junior championships she won the girls aged 13 200m butterfly in an Otago record time of 2min 29.96sec. The old record was held by Dunedin swimmer Aleisha Ruske (Neptune).
Gibson also gained personal best times when she came second in the 100m butterfly (1min 10.35sec) and third in the 50m butterfly (31.64sec).
She was also third in the 200m backstroke in 2min 34.39sec.
Her performances pleased Queenstown coach Frank Wylie.
Gibson has displayed a lot of promise since joining Wylie's squad four years ago. She won the 200m butterfly at the South Island championships in September.
At this month's Southland championships she won nine gold medals in her age group.
The other Queenstown swimmer to perform on the national stage is Patrick Harris who won a bronze medal at the New Zealand age group championships last season.
Harris, Gibson, Sami Hotop and Rebekah Paul attended the South Island Regional Age Group Development Camp at Moana Pool during the winter.
