Swimming: Kean in hot form in Hawaii

Gareth Kean. Photo / Getty Images.

Wellington teenager Gareth Kean has continued his hot form by winning a gold medal at the Junior Pan Pacific swimming championships in Hawaii today.

Kean set a new championship record in topping the heats of the men's 50m backstroke in a time of 54.89 seconds at Maui, going under the previous mark of Australian Daniel Arnamnart set in 2007.

The event involves the best teenage swimming talent from the Asia-Pacific region, including the powerhouse nations of the United States and Australia as well as Japan and Canada among others.

Kean, 18, later went out hard in the final and managed to control the back half to hold off Americans Kevin Carmody and Jacob Pebley to win in 54.91sec.

After finishing fifth in the 200m backstroke final at the full Pan Pacific championships in California last week, Kean was delighted to continue a New Zealand tradition in the event after compatriot Daniel Bell won the 50m backstroke title last year.

"It feels good especially after a whole week of racing at the Pan Pacs," Kean said.

"I felt the morning was a lot better. I went out a bit too tough in the final. That's okay, though, because I've won and it is about continually learning to go under that 55-second mark now.

"Coming back I managed to stay in control and keep the lead which was the main thing, to get the win after I got the meet record this morning in the heats."

Kean clocked a personal best time of 54.57sec last week, the best time by a New Zealander in fabric suit, and is now looking ahead to his trademark 200m backstroke later in the five-day meet.

Wellington swimmer Samantha Lucie-Smith finished sixth in the A final of the 200m freestyle in two minutes 2.80 seconds while Canterbury 15-year-old Sophia Batchelor was eighth in 2min 6sec.

Lucie-Smith was also ninth in the 800m freestyle, setting a New Zealand age group record for 18 years of 8min 51.87sec.

Leading results:-

A finals:

Women's 200m freestyle: Chels Chenault (US) 1min 58.52sec 1, Jasmine Tosky (US) 1:59.69 2, Amy Levings (Australia) 1:59.98 3. Also: Samantha Lucie-Smith (NZ) 2:02.80 6, Sophia Batchelor (NZ) 2:06.74 8.

Men's 100m backstroke: Gareth Kean (NZ) 54.91sec (meet record) 1, Kevin Carmody (US) 55:07 2, Jacob Pebley (US) 55.88 3.

Women's 800m freestyle: Laure Driscoll (US) 8:34.48 1 (meet record) 1, Bonn MacDonald (Australia) 8:37.00 2, Gillian Ryan (US) 8:37.72 3. Also: Samantha Lucie-Smith (NZ) 8:51.87 (NZ age group record) 9.

B finals

Women's 100m backstroke: Bonnie Brandon (US) 1:02.33 1, Kana Oseki (Japan) 1:02.93 2, Jenni O'Neil (Australia) 1:03.50 3, Sophia Batchelor (NZ) 1:03.75 4.

Women's 200m butterfly: Miju Otsuka (Japan) 2:15.91 1, Haley Sims (US) 2:18.09 2, Samantha Lee (NZ) 2:19.18 3.

- NZPA