KEY POINTS:
For some time Annabelle Carey has been trying to break 1m 10s in the 100m breaststroke.
Last night at the world championship trials in Auckland the bubbly 17-year-old achieved her goal and also sliced a second and a half off her personal best for a New Zealand record and swam under the qualifying time.
Was she happy? You bet.
"Every time I came up in the last 25 metres I could [hear] everyone cheering and I thought maybe I am doing well here," Carey said.
"The trigger was the first 50m. I felt awesome. I have got nothing left now. I have been trying to go sub 1.10 for a long, long time. I am so happy, the first time I do it - to go that far under is amazing."
Carey's time means a women's medley relay team have also qualified for the world championships.
For Carey, who swam in the medley relay at the 2004 Olympics and in this year's Commonwealth Games, it is the first time she has qualified in an individual event for a major meet.
"I really love the relay team. It is amazing but nothing compared to qualifying individually," she said.
The other standout performer was another breaststroker, Glenn Snyders.
The 19-year-old swam a personal best and was just outside the qualifying time in the semifinals of the 100m breaststroke. He will have another chance in tonight's final.
Five swimmers have now qualified in individual events for the world championships, and some are also in a men's 4x200m freestyle relay or men's and women's 4x100m medley relay teams that have also qualified.
The total of 14 qualifiers could swell to 17 if the selectors accept Lauren Boyle's times, which would qualify a women's 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x200m freestyle relay. Boyle has missed the meet through illness.
Corney Swanepoel again came close to nailing the 50m butterfly qualifying time. With the time set at 24.02s, Swanepoel swam 24.16s in his semifinal and 24.40s in last night's final.
With today the last day of the trials, national coach Jan Cameron said Swimming NZ was roughly on target for the number of swimmers it thought would qualify for the worlds.
"I think that we have all that we expected but Corney, and he has another shot [today]."
Also in action is Commonwealth Games gold winner Moss Burmester, who has yet to qualify in an individual event. Burmester will line up in his specialist 200m butterfly event
Hannah McLean qualified for tonight's final of the 50m backstroke, clocking 29.31s, just ahead of North Shore teammate Liz Coster's 29.47s.
