Auckland swimmer Lauren Boyle won the 1500m freestyle title at the prestigious Santa Clara Invitational meet in the United States yesterday.
Boyle, in the United States training and racing in preparation for the London Olympics, clocked an excellent 16:21.73 - only a second outside her New Zealand record.
In the process, she beat two-time American 1500m champion Emily Brunemann and Venezuela's Pan American Games medallist Andreina Pinto.
The Americans are using the meet as they build towards the national championships this month, which doubles as their Olympic trials.
Boyle, coached by Mark Regan, started conservatively with a consistent 1:05 pace for each 100m, before showing her strength and fitness with a 1:02.70 time for the final 100m for the win.
