Eve Thomas. Photo: Supplied / Swimming NZ
Three athletes swam Olympic and Paralympic qualifying times on day one of the National Champs in Hawkes Bay.
Eve Thomas won the women's 1500m freestyle, going more than a second and a half under the qualification time for this year's Paris Games.
The Coast Swim Club athlete started fast and held her pace to the finish in a blistering 16:07.46s.
"An athlete's dream is the Olympics and to have swum under the qualification time for my second Olympics is an honour," said Thomas.
"I went hard from the start tonight and I just hung on, so I'm really pleased that I stuck to my plan."
It is the third Paris qualification time for Thomas, who has already qualified in the 400m and 800m freestyle, hitting the mark at the 2024 Aquatics World Championships in Doha in February.
Jesse Reynolds went under the Paralympic qualification time in the S9 100m backstroke and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Joshua Willmer did the same in the SB8 100m breaststroke.
"I'm really happy with hitting that qualification time," said Reynolds.
"To get that time in the morning and then go even quicker in the final was exactly what I was aiming for. I don't think too many people have been to three Paralympics so I hope I can be part of that group and I'm really looking forward to competing for New Zealand again."
Jesse Reynolds (file photo). Photo: Photosport
In the day's other action Chloe Gladwin had an impressive night, winning two national titles as she took out the women's 100m backstroke Multi-Class (S19) and the women's 100m breaststroke Multi-Class (SB19).
Coast's Sam Brown won the men's 400m individual medley by almost two seconds (World Champion Lewis Clareburt wasn't competing in the event at the Nationals), while Zyleika Pratt-Smith (Coast) was dominant in the women's 400m individual medley.
Swimming New Zealand also presented several awards during the evening, with Erika Fairweather winning Domestic Swimmer of the Year for 2023 and International Swimmer of the Year for 2023.
The awards recognised the year in which Fairweather won bronze at the 2023 Aquatics World Championships in Fukuoka and became the 6th fastest woman of all time in the women's 400m Freestyle.
Fairweather begins her National Champs campaign today, contesting the 200m freestyle.
Backstroke specialist Andrew Jeffcoat is also in the pool, swimming the 100m distance, while 2023 World Junior Championship silver medallist Monique Wieruszowski will be in action in the 100m breaststroke.
The event is the final opportunity for New Zealand's swimmers to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
