Aquatics: Rignall pips Games time at German meet

German-based Vivienne Rignall qualified for the Commonwealth Games swimming team at the German championships in Hamburg yesterday.

Rignall, 27, clocked 25.97s in the final of the women's 50m freestyle, won by her SC Hamburg team-mate and Olympic medallist Sandra Volker in 25.49s.

The New Zealander was 0.1s outside the 26s Commonwealth Games qualifying mark in her heat, but squeezed under the time in finishing fifth in the final.

If selected, Rignall will bring the New Zealand swimming team for Manchester to 10.

Her qualifying time was marginally slower than that of Wellington's Toni Jeffs, who clocked 25.94s at the New Zealand Open championships in Auckland.

Rignall was the only New Zealand swimmer to qualify for a final at the 2000 Olympics, lowering her national 50m record to 25.52s in the semifinals in Sydney.

- NZPA