Swimming: Pressure on as swimmers chase New Delhi tickets

Swimmers face challenging qualifying standards for the Commonwealth Games at the New Zealand championships starting in Auckland today.

Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) is positive about the targets set for Games selection, which are at the same level as for the 2008 Beijing Olympics where swimmers had the benefits of the full-length swim suits that are now banned.

"We want to raise the bar all the time and we want our swimmers to be continually improving their world rankings," SNZ official Jan Cameron said.

"Yes, the targets are tough but we want swimmers going to New Delhi capable of making finals and swimmers who continue to push and improve themselves."

The championships form the sole qualifying meet for the Games form the selection for the Pan Pacific championships, the Junior Pan Pacs, the Youth Olympics, Oceania championships and transtasman competitions.

"This is a great opportunity to have the very best swimmers in the country all together at one event that will decide selection for all of our national teams through the grades and the ages for this year," Cameron said.

Nine swimmers qualified for last year's world championships in Rome and Cameron believes a team of similar size is likely for New Delhi

Some swimmers will have the confidence that they have bettered the times in lead-up competition, including last year's world championships competitors Andrew McMillan and his North Shore teammate Daniel Bell.

Beijing Olympian Melissa Ingram has returned better than ever after missing last year's world championships, going under the qualifying times in the 200m and 400m freestyle and 200m backstroke.

Her North Shore teammate Emily Thomas is another who went under the times last year in the 100m backstroke, as did Southland's Natalie Wiegersma, who went under target times in the 200m and 400m individual medley.

Moss Burmester wants the chance to defend his Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 200m butterfly, alongside his national high performance squad members Corney Swanepoel and Glenn Snyders.

North Shore sprinter Hayley Palmer was one of the stars at last year's world championships with other contenders including Queensland-based Cara Baker, Tash Hind (Capital), Penny Marshall (North Shore), Michael Jack (West Auckland), Jessie Blundell (North Shore), Sophia Batchelor (Aqua Gym) and Lauren Boyle (North Shore).

- NZPA