Fairweather breaks her own record to continue strong form

6:05 am on 10 August 2023

Erika Fairweather in action in the heats of the women's 400m freestyle on day two of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games - Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, Japan 25/7/2021

Erica Fairweather. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021

Dunedin teenager Erika Fairweather has continued her record-breaking form, smashing her own 200m Freestyle record at the New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships.

The 19-year-old beat her previous New Zealand short course record by more than a second, clocking a time of 1:53.07s at Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatics Centre this evening.

"I'm absolutely buzzing to break that record," said Fairweather.

"It's been a massive few weeks of racing and travelling so to crank a time like that on home soil is really special."

The latest record comes just weeks after Fairweather won bronze in the 400m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships, becoming just the fifth woman ever to go under four minutes in the 400 free.

New Zealand's Andrew Jeffcoat reacts after winning the Men’s 50m Backstroke Final on Day 4 of the XXII Commonwealth Games at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, England, Monday, August 1, 2022. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt/ www.photosport.nz)

Andrew Jeffcoat. Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz

Not to be outdone, Fairweather's World Aquatics Championship teammate Andrew Jeffcoat also got amongst the New Zealand short course records, swimming the 100m backstroke in 50.83s.

-RNZ