Swimming: Bentley stars in NZ championships

Wellington 16-year-old Kelly Bentley was again the only swimmer from outside the Auckland North Shore club to win a final at the New Zealand Swimming Championships in Wellington last night.

The diminutive Bentley followed her win in the 200m breaststroke with victory in the 100m breaststroke tonight, coming from behind at the turn to upset Athens Olympian Annabelle Carey in a battle of the 16-year-olds.

On the third night of finals at the Kilbirnie Aquatic Centre two relay teams qualified for July's world championships in Montreal, meaning up to six more swimmers will be added to the team.

The first four women home in the 200m freestyle final combined to go under the target time for the 4x200m freestyle relay team, while the Auckland team combined to qualify in the men's 4x100m medley relay team.

Leading into tonight's 100m breaststroke final Carey had won last night's preliminary final in a personal best one minute 11.87 seconds, 0.6s clear of Bentley.

The Christchurch swimmer turned with a 2m advantage at the 50m mark in tonight's final but Bentley powered through the second half of the race to win in a personal best 1min 11.94s.

In the 50m butterfly, Corney Swanepoel broke his own New Zealand record to qualify top.

The 19-year-old clocked 23.76s to win the preliminary final, just 0.4s off the world record and the fastest time in the world this year.

His powerful North Shore squad won five of tonight's six finals to make it 14 from 16 so far.

Alison Fitch took out the 200m freestyle title clocking 2min 1.76s, holding off a fast finish from team-mate Helen Norfolk, West Auckland's Lauren Boyle and Melissa Ingram, who also won the 400m freestyle.

The four swimmers' combined time of 8min 10.71s was nearly 3s inside the qualifying time for the 4x200m freestyle relay for the world championships.

With Norfolk already qualified, Fitch, Ingram and Boyle will be added to the team although they have yet to be ratified.

The North Shore club men's four of Scott Talbot-Cameron, Glenn Snyders, Swanepoel and Cameron Gibson combined for a superb 3min 41.91s in the 4x100m medley relay, nearly 1s inside the qualifying time for the world championships.

The team will depend on the 100m breaststroke and 100m backstroke finals to come but if none go faster than the four individual times set by the quartet tonight, then Talbot-Cameron, Snyders and Gibson will be added to the team for Montreal, along with the already-qualified Swanepoel.

Earlier Moss Burmester North Shore grabbed his third title with victory in the 100m butterfly in a personal best 53.61s, the ninth fastest time in the world this year.

Dean Kent reigned supreme to win the 200m individual medley in 2min 2.20s, under the world championship qualifying time but slightly outside his outstanding effort in last night's semifinals.

The North Shore pair of Scott Talbot-Cameron and Hannah McLean won the sprint finals in the 50m backstroke in 26.38s and 29.46s respectively.

- NZPA