Swimming: Swimmers after competitive edge

Top New Zealand swimmers are chasing more competition to ensure they are on target for success at next year's Commonwealth Games.

Most of New Zealand's leading candidates for the Games - 58 in all - are heading for the Queensland State Championships this weekend, the first of several trips across the Tasman this summer.

The evaluation of this year's world championships in Rome pointed to insufficient top-level competition.

"We've identified that we had a shortfall in the amount of competitive racing this year, and therefore the leading squad members will be racing in Australia every month leading up to the Commonwealth Games Trials in April," said Jan Cameron, Swimming New Zealand's general manager performance and pathways.

"We want more racing for our swimmers, especially international long-course events.

"It is not so much looking for top times, but we want to enhance their performances by increasing their competitive edge and get top competition to hone their race skills."

That means regular racing every month for most of the swimmers, she said. They will attend the Victorian championships in January, New South Wales championships in February and the Auckland championships in March.

The Commonwealth Games Trials will be held at West Wave Aquatic Centre in Waitakere City in April.

- NZPA