New Zealand swim queen Lauren Boyle looks set to have her world short course record officially ratified by the world swimming's governing body following months of uncertainty.
Boyle's world record in the women's 1500m freestyle at the winter short course championships in Wellington appears to have been given the official stamp of approval by FINA, according to Swimming World magazine. The record is no longer as listed as pending on the FINA website.
Boyle clocked 15:22.68 in the event, eclipsing Mireia Belmonte Garcia's record of 15:26.95 set last November at the Spanish Short Course Championships.
The delay in ratifying the record came after questions regarding the legitimacy of the Wellington pool were raised. New Zealand swimming watchdog David Wright filed an official protest on the pool prior to the meet, claiming that the pool not only had a current, but also was too shallow in the shallow end (1.2m). FINA regulations require a minimum depth of 1.35m per FINA Rule FR2.3.
With the ratification, Boyle becomes the third New Zealand woman to ever set a global mark in short course events.
