Swimmers set to make a splash

A six-strong team of talented Wairarapa swimmers hit the water in Christchurch today to compete in the combined New Zealand Youth and Open Championships.
The event, which runs until Sunday, will differ from previous years in that the heats will be held in the afternoon and finals the following morning in accordance with the Olympic format set to be utilised in Beijing next year to placate the American viewing audience.
Wairarapa are expected to feature strongly throughout the championships with the format allowing the team to compete in their age groups and, should they qualify to do so, in the open class.
The team will have swimmers competing in most disciplines over the week including the 200m and 400m individual medleys, while William Prior will be keen to continue his record-breaking run of late.
Prior, 17, shattered both the North Island Secondary Schools and Wairarapa records in the 200m freestyle only two weeks ago.
At the same meet the boys, swimming for Rathkeale College, broke the same records in the 4x50m freestyle and 4x50m medley relays.
Not to be left out, Ashley McDougall has also been impressive in winning the open women's 50m butterfly and 200m freestyle races at the Wellington championships in February.
While they are in Christchurch, the team, coached by Jiri Mikolas and Russell Geange, will be under the care of New Zealand assistant coach Donna Bouzaid.
A former Masterton Swimming Club member herself, Bouzaid now coaches the highly successful West Auckland Aquatics Club.