Surf lifesaving: Big names omitted from national team

In a bid to build for the 2008 world championships, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand have left out past team members - Olympians Dean Kent and Steven Ferguson and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Moss Burmester from their national team for the October's international pool challenge in Christchurch.

Kent, Ferguson and Burmester have been omitted from the Christchurch event as they will be preoccupied with preparations in the leadup to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

"We've been building a long term campaign to win the world title in 2008 which clashes with the Beijing Olympics, ruling out some key members of the past," Surf Life Saving New Zealand chief executive Geoff Barry said today.

The team made up of six women and six men will compete in the inaugural Challenge to be held in Christchurch starting on October 4.

A highlight of the team is the naming of Commonwealth Games swimmer Georgina Toomey, her brother Dominic and sister Julia, who all hail from the Sumner Surf Life Saving Club in Christchurch.

Julia and Dominic were part of the New Zealand team who finished second at the world lifesaving championships held earlier this year in Victoria, Australia.

"If we want to mount a serious campaign to win the next world championships in 2008, we need to improve on our performance in the pool," Barry said.

"The team chosen for the Challenge are all very strong in the pool events as well as on the beach.

"We need to expose them to more pool lifesaving events internationally to build up to the world champs in Germany."

This will be the first time New Zealand and Australia compete head to head in the pool-only events that make up the international surf lifesaving event programme.

The World Championships features as many events in the swimming pool as it does the beach events.

Four other members of the team named today: Glenn Anderson (Gisborne), Michael Buck (Auckland), Ayla Dunlop-Barrett (New Plymouth) and Johanna O'Connor (Tauranga) will bring a wealth of experience to the team.

For others such as double New Zealand ironman champion Daniel Moodie (Hawkes Bay), this will be their first time on the international lifesaving stage.

- NZPA