Swimming: Boyle takes silver in Barcelona

New Zealand swimmer Lauren Boyle was one of three Kiwi athletes that earned medals on the opening night of finals in the Mare Nostrum series in Barcelona today. Photo / Ian Macnicoll.

New Zealand swimmer Lauren Boyle was one of three Kiwi athletes that earned medals on the opening night of finals in the Mare Nostrum series in Barcelona today.

World short course champion Boyle finished second in the 800m freestyle, Gareth Kean was second in the 200m backstroke and Glenn Snyders placed third in the 100m breaststroke.

Boyle was run down in the final 200m by double London Olympic medallist Garcia Belmonte (ESP) in the final of the 800m freestyle.

The New Zealander made a fast start in her first competitive swim since the national championships in March before Belmonte hit the front at the 600m mark, going on to win in 8:26.00 with Boyle two seconds behind.

Wellington open water swimmer Emma Robinson finished eighth in the final.

Boyle returned to the pool to finish fourth in the final of the 200m freestyle in 2:00.47.

Kean showed plenty of pace in the 200m backstroke final, going through the halfway point in a slick 57.07 but was eventually nabbed in the final 50m by the European champion Yanick Lebherz (GER) who won in 1:59.02, with the Wellington swimmer half a second behind in second.

Snyders qualified second fastest in the heats of the 100m breaststroke but had to settle for third in the final. London Olympic gold medallist Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) took out the final in 1:00.38 ahead of Pan American Games medallist Felipe Lima (BRA) and Snyders, who clocked 1:01.12, faster than his morning effort.

The Aqua Blacks are competing in two of the three meets that make up the annual Mare Nostrum series in Barcelona today and tomorrow and Canet en Roussillon on 15 and 16 June.