Swimming: Tadpole Robins hatches into Olympic swimmer

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Once a little Tadpole, Monique Robins is now the youngest Kiwi Olympian.

The 16-year-old Auckland swimmer admitted last night that she was a little surprised to be named in the nine-strong New Zealand swim team for Sydney, after just falling short of the 100m freestyle qualifying time.

But national coach Brett Naylor pushed Robins' case with the NZ Olympic Committee, saying she was a hugely talented swimmer whose consistency in the pool was good enough to earn her a spot.

Another who narrowly missed the mark, Dunedin butterflier Liz van Welie, also got the nod yesterday.

And there is still room for late achievers, including unlucky sprinter Toni Jeffs.

Swimmers who break the world qualifying A times before August 20 will be given last-minute tickets.

Naylor was full of praise for Robins. "She's making such huge improvements. She's stripped 1.2s off the 100m in the past 12 months - not bad for a petite little girl," he said.

"We assessed her on her world ranking and in the 100m freestyle she was well up there. The selection times were set a long time ago.

"But she reached the standard, so she was in a position to be nominated."

Robins, a sixth-former at Takapuna Grammar, said she knew her selection would be touch and go.

"It was a bit of a surprise ... it's like a dream," said Robins, who started her swimming career at nine, as a Tadpole with the Takapuna Swimming Club.

Her best time over 100m this year is 56.75s - the qualifying mark was 56.6s. Her realistic goal is a medal at the 2004 Games in Athens. But she will have two special days in Sydney - the day she competes, and her 17th birthday on September 25.

Naylor said there was still a good chance of New Zealand putting together a women's 4 x 100m relay, providing Jeffs swims a qualifying time in the 50m freestyle.

German-based Kiwi Vivienne Rignall bettered the 50m A time last weekend. Jeffs must now do the same to qualify.

vp+4.0The team: Monique Robins (100m freestyle), Dean Kent (400m individual medley), Steven Ferguson (100m breaststroke), Jonathan Duncan (400m freestyle), Elizabeth van Welie (200m butterfly), Scott Talbot-Cameron (200m backstroke), Helen Norfolk (400m individual medley), Nicki Tanner (200m butterfly), Vivienne Rignall (50m freestyle).


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