Para Swimmers Shine in Singapore
Event Wrap of the 2024 Citi Para Swimming World Series - Singapore
Our NZ swimming team had a successful campaign in Singapore over the weekend with three days of racing at the 2024 Citi Para World Swimming Series. The team performed strongly to come home with an array of medals, personal bests, NZ Records, as well as lots of bonding and learning as a team.
The first night of racing saw our young swimmers shine on the podium. Aquablack Gaby Smith (Vikings) won the youth gold medal in the Women's 100m Freestyle Multi-Class in a personal best of 1:05.87. Asher Smith-Franklin (North Shore) also topped the youth podium in the Men's 200m Freestyle Multi-Class (2:05.95).
Smith and Smith-Franklin continued their medal winning ways into night two of competition with Smith-Franklin again winning the Youth Gold in the Men's 100m Breaststroke Multi-Class (1:11.68), breaking his SB14 NZ Record. Smith won the open bronze in the Women's 100m Breaststroke (1:21.30), and Aquablack Josh Willmer (Pukekohe), won open silver in the Men's 100m Breaststroke Multi-Class (1:13.41). Willmer also broke his 50m Breaststroke SB8 NZ Record with his 50m split in this race (34.21).
The final night of competition produced another NZ Record, achieved by Smith-Franklin in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Multi-Class, where he won his first open silver medal (2:16.12). Tupou Neiufi (Pukekohe) took a huge chunk of time off her swim from the 2024 Apollo Projects New Zealand Championships earlier this year in the Women's 100m Backstroke to claim silver (1:24.99).
SNZ's Paralympic Programme Lead, Simon Mayne, was pleased with the team camaraderie and professionalism across the week in Singapore.
"We took 4 of the 5 Paris Paralympic's selected swimmers to the Singapore World Series. This was their last international meet before leaving for our Pre-Games camp. Everyone swam well, made finals and had the chance to refine their race routines and strategies."
Attending this meet was an important part of team preparations for Paris, with the heat in Singapore similar to what is expected in Paris later this year. This provided an excellent learning opportunity for the team to practice their race and recovery protocols regarding heat and hydration in preparation for the Paralympics.
The team has now traveled to the Gold Coast were they will undergo a two week intensive training camp where they will continue their preparations toward Paris, with this camp focusing on endurance.
