Swimming: Kent confirms senior status despite disruption

By PETER JESSUP

Dean Kent last night confirmed his status as the New Zealand swimmer most likely to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.

He went under the qualifying time for the 400m medley by 4.35s at the national championships in Henderson.

Kent had already booked his ticket to Manchester with a time of 4m 20.68s at the New South Wales championships in January, but was pleased to repeat the feat in front of a home crowd last night as he won the national title in 4m 21.15s.

"You always know you've had a hard race when your legs are wobbly, and they're wobbling," he said.

He was fourth in the event at the world short-course championships in Moscow at the start of the month and believed the travel and disruption to training affected his time last night.

Sixteenth at the Sydney Olympics in a time of 4m 21.81s and the fastest-ever New Zealander with 4m 19.04s in Brisbane last year, Kent said his aim at Manchester was 4m 16s and better.

Eight swimmers have now qualified, and Kent will be a senior team member.

Jonathan Duncan turned first after leg one of the breaststroke, backstroke specialist Anthony van der Kraay took the lead in his event, Kent went ahead in the butterfly and came home four body-lengths in front of van der Kraay.

Those three and backstroker Hannah McLean made it a good night for the North Shore club. The group, coached by Jan Cameron and Igor Polianski, have stood out at the Waitakere Aquatic Centre all week.

McLean was the first swimmer at the championships to break a national record. Her time of 29.92s in the 50m backstroke was 0.17s inside Games qualifying.

In the 50m freestyle, luckless Alison Fitch made it four nights of "almosts" when she swam a personal best of 26.30s. She was 0.3s outside the Games qualifying time.