Swimming: Talented women in push for New Delhi selection

Melissa Ingram has gone under qualifying times in warm-up meets. Photo / Kenny Rodger

A bevy of talented women are pushing for qualification for the Commonwealth Games at the New Zealand Open Championships starting in Auckland on Monday.

A third of all individual medals won by New Zealanders in the Commonwealth Games history have been in backstroke, led by the likes of Jean Stewart, Gary Hurring, Paul Kingsman and Anna Simcic. The last backstroke medals were bronzes to Hannah McLean and Cameron Gibson in Melbourne.

Melissa Ingram, her fellow North Shore Club clubmates Penny Marshall, Emily Thomas and Jessie Blundell, with 14-year-old Sophia Batchelor from the Aqua Gym club in Christchurch, are leading contenders.

It will be no easy task with Swimming NZ setting stiff targets for selection for New Delhi, pitching qualifying times at the same level as for the Beijing Olympics, where they had the benefits of the now-illegal swim suits.

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

Ingram and Thomas have already gone under the qualifying times for New Delhi in warm-up meets, while Blundell, Marshall and Batchelor have been within fractions. They have to achieve the qualifying times in the finals at the championships with no second chances.

"All of them have the capability of qualifying but it will be very, very tough."

Ingram, 24, is the bright light. The former world short-course medallist has returned full of enthusiasm and vigour, going under the Commonwealth Games standard in Queensland in the 200m backstroke and in the 200m and 400m freestyle, where she broke the national records.

Thomas, formerly from Gisborne and then Hawkes Bay, has found her feet at North Shore under coach Scott Talbot. The 19-year-old went under the qualifying time for the 100m backstroke in Australia before Christmas where she broke the New Zealand record.

Marshall, formerly from Tauranga, has recovered from a life-threatening accident a year ago to push close to Games qualifying in the 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle, while Blundell, also 19, was second to Thomas and close to the Games time in the 100m backstroke.

Batchelor, 14, has been the standout age group swimmer over the past 12 months. The Rangi Ruru College student may have to bide her time, although her 1:02.82 national age group mark set last month is only half a second outside the qualifying mark for New Delhi in the 100m backstroke.

The women's 100m backstroke is on Tuesday and 200m backstroke on Thursday, with heats from 10am and finals from 6pm.