NZ swimmers best hope at World Uni Games

A competition-sharpened swimming team appear to be New Zealand's most likely medal source at the World University Games in Turkey in August.

Nine of the 20-strong squad selected for the Games on August 11-21 will kick on to Turkey fresh from competing at the world swimming championships in Montreal, Canada, in late July.

They are Moss Burmester, Cameron Gibson, Glenn Snyders, Elizabeth Coster, Georgina Toomey, Alison Fitch, Helen Norfolk, Te Rina Taite and Melissa Ingram.

University Sport New Zealand (USNZ) today rubber-stamped Swimming New Zealand's (SNZ) 11-man, nine-woman team for the biennial University Games in Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, on August 11-21.

USNZ executive director Jim Ellis is thrilled with the calibre of the team, particularly the nine athletes who head to Izmir following the world swimming championships in Montreal.

"This is our strongest team for Izmir without question," Ellis said.

"We've got really high expectations and the fact Swimming NZ is bringing nine swimmers straight from Montreal is the biggest indictment for the World University Games we could have wished for."

SNZ director of coaching Clive Rushton said the University Games were an important step in the development of athletes towards world championships and Olympic Games.

"The World University Games is gaining status worldwide and is fiercely competed by many of the world's leading swimming nations," Rushton said.

"We are determined to support talented swimmers to this competition and will continue to give it a high priority in our competitive schedule."

New Zealand will compete in eight of the 13 sports on the Izmir programme -- athletics, fencing, gymnastics (artistic), soccer (women), swimming, tennis, volleyball (women) and sailing.

The 2003 World University Games in Daegu, Korea attracted more than 6500 athletes from more than 160 countries, including a 70-strong delegation from New Zealand.

New Zealand's team for Izmir is expected to top 100 athletes and officials.

New Zealand swimming team for World University Games: Moss Burmester, Robert Voss, Andrew McMillan, Michael Jack, Cameron Gibson, Chris Hotchin, Matt Thomas, Glenn Snyders, Ben Pickersgill-Brown, Mark Herring, Richard Adamson, Elizabeth Coster, Georgina Toomey, Megan Allan, Sarah Vettoretti, Alison Fitch, Te Rina Taite, Helen Norfolk, Melissa Ingram, Aleisha Keating. Head coach: Thomas Ansorg. Assistant coach: Jan Cameron.

- NZPA