Masterton to make national splash

Swimming New Zealand have confirmed the "strong possibility" of a major international event being staged at the Genesis Recreation Centre pool in Masterton in July next year.
Performance and pathways manager for SNZ Lisa Conroy told the Times-Age yesterday that while the four venues for the Trans-Tasman series involving two New Zealand and one Australia teams were still to be finalised Masterton was very much in the reckoning
"We're not yet in a position to say,yes Masterton is a definite, but it is a strong possibility, I can say that
much ",Conroy said, adding SNZ was always keen to do everything in their power to showcase their sport in the smaller centres."Wairarapa fits the bill perfectly, there is a proven swimming base there and we know the community would hugely embrace an event of this magnitude".
Staging the Trans-Tasman series, which is aimed at swimmers aged between 13 and 17yrs, in New Zealand will be something of a novelty with the last time it was held here thought to be around the early 1970's.
Befitting their reputation as one of the world's most powerful swimming nations Australia usually calls the tune as was the case in July of this year when Australia Gold tallied 689pts, Australia Green 603pts and New Zealand 521pts.
Conroy said "very considerable" promotional work would be done around the chosen venues for the Trans-Tasman series by SNZ and their affiliates with much of it involving schools who would be encouraged to actively show their support for the participants.
"We want to make the Australian swimmers, in particular, feel at home and hopefully the schools will take up that challenge," he said.
Conroy also revealed yesterday that one of four meets in SNZ's own Tri Series, has been allocated to the Genesis Recreation Pool in Masterton in late January next year.
This event is also contested by the country's leading junior swimmers aged between 13 and 17 years and they will be divided into three teams who will be supported by coaches and other officials.Similar meets will be held in Palmerston North, Taupo and Wanganui.
Conroy said the objective of the Tri Series was to identify youngsters capable of representing their country with distinction at international level and they would have had the benefit of attending training camps beforehand.
"They are our up and comers and are a very important part of our identification process," she said.
On the local swimming scene too there is big news afoot with Swim Wairarapa planning to celebrate their 50th birthday in December by holding a celebration meet at the Greytown pool at which records for distances measured under the old yard system will be put under threat.