Swimming: Boyle into another final at world champs

Lauren Boyle is into another final at the swimming world champs. Photo / Getty

Lauren Boyle is through to another final at the world swimming championships in Kazan, Russia.

Aucklander Boyle, following her silver medal in the non-Olympic 1500m, qualified fourth fastest for the 800m freestyle final tonight.

She clocked 8min 23.66s for tomorrow night's final.

She finished third in her heat, won by defending champion and world record holder Katie Ledecky of the United States, with 2009 world champion Lotte Friis of Denmark second.

''It was a comfortable swim for Lauren and she is in a good lane for the final," said coach Graeme Laing.

While Ledecky is expected to be in a class of her own for the gold medal, there will be a five-way battle for the other places on the podium, with only 2.5s separating Friis, Boyle, Australian Jessica Ashwood, Britain's Jaz Carlin and Dutch swimmer Sharon van Rousendaal.
New Zealand teammate Emma Robinson clocked 8:44:86, 13s outside her best, to be 27th fastest.

Earlier Hawkes Bay 15-year-old Bobbi Gichard achieved a personal best 2:13.45 to be 25th fastest in the heats of the women's 200m backstroke while Waikato teenager Bradlee Ashby was a fraction outside his best to clock 54.57s to be 47th from 73 swimmers in the 100m butterfly.