Swimming: Capp so close to Loader's record

Nathan Capp came so close to beating Danyon Loader's record from 1992 at Baywave on Friday night. Photo/Andrew Warner

Nathan Capp was a second away from making history at Baywave on Friday night.

The 21-year-old, representing Greerton at the Greerton Winter Championships, came closer than any other New Zealander to breaking double Olympic gold medallist Danyon Loader's short course (25m pool) 1500m freestyle record that has stood since 1992.

Capp went under 15 minutes for the first time, recording 14m 55.73s, which seriously threatened Loader's time of 14m 54.38s.

Loader set himself against the best swimmers at a World Cup meeting in Paris but Capp, New Zealand's long course (50m pool) 1500m freestyle record holder, was on his own from the moment he eased his tall frame into that laconic, graceful stroke that defines the top swimmers.

"That record is always in the back of my mind and I have just done three weeks' training on the Gold Coast with (Australian coach) Denis Cotterell," Capp said.

In Australia he also trained with Olympic champion Sun Yang from China, which he says was a "mind blowing experience".

"We did a meet before I came home and we went quite well there in a 600m race. If there had been another 200 I would probably easily have beaten the 800 record. So I felt really good from that and just wanted to come back here and give the 1500 a good hit-out. I knew I was going quite fast.

"You can kind of tell if you are lapping everybody once every 500m."

Capp, who is based at Swimming NZ's High Performance Centre on Auckland's North Shore, is regarded as unlucky to miss out on a Commonwealth Games place.

He admits it has been tough dealing with the rejection. "It is definitely a little raw. I was real cut after (NZ) Opens and didn't make the team. I had a rough couple of weeks really just thinking about it. People always bring it up, which makes it tougher as well.

"But I am over it and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

"I am looking forward to next season and short course (nationals) coming up in September in Wellington, which are the world short course trials."

Also on show over the Greerton Winter Championships that concluded last night, were world junior backstroke champion Gabrielle Fa'amausili from Auckland and the best of Western Bay's nationally ranked junior swimmers.

Results: greertonswimclub.co.nz