Swimming: More success for Kiwis in Hobart

New Zealand swimmers won two medals and set a clutch of national records on the penultimate night of competition at the Australian short course championships in Hobart last night.

Corney Swanepoel won a silver medal in the final of the 50m butterfly and Daniel Bell earned a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke.

The team broke seven New Zealand records to cap a strong day of performances.

Swanepoel, 24, was edged out by Matt Jaukovic in his final. The big Australian set a Commonwealth record of 22.28 seconds, just 1/10th off the world record, with Swanepoel home second in 22.60sec, which broke the national record of 22.74sec that he set in yesterday's semifinals.

Bell, 19, was edged out by titleholder Robert Hurley and fellow-Australian Daniel Arnamnart in the final of the 50m backstroke, with only 2/10ths of a second separating the trio.

Bell's time of 23.77sec also broke his own national record set in the semifinal.

It marked a busy but productive day for Bell, who qualified for the finals of the 100m individual medley after breaking the New Zealand record in the semifinals.

He was third fastest in the morning heats and fourth fastest in the semifinals. His time of 53.85sec was nearly half a second inside his national record.

North Shore's Hayley Palmer was the top qualifier into the finals of the 50m freestyle. The 19-year-old clocked 24.47sec in her morning heat to break her own national record and swum virtually the same time in topping the semifinals last night.

Glenn Snyders is through to the final of the 50m breaststroke as the second fastest in the semifinals after he was quickest in the morning heats where his 26.99sec effort was under his own New Zealand record of 27.21sec. He was slightly slower in the evening semifinals but will push for a medal this evening.

North Shore's Emily Thomas broke Hannah McLean's record in the 50m backstroke in the morning heat.

She clocked 27.50sec to take more than 2/10ths off the old mark and then lowered this again to 27.37sec with a top performance to be fourth fastest in the semifinals.

Fellow-North Shore swimmer Andrew McMillan has qualified for the final of the 100m freestyle. The middle distance freestyle specialist showed excellent speed to be the 12th fastest in 48.78sec for a personal best in the heats and lowered this to 48.15sec to be seventh fastest in the semifinals.

The championships finish tonight.

New Zealand results

Finals
50m backstroke: Robert Hurley (Australia) 23.57sec 1, Daniel Arnamnart (Australia) 23.60 2, Daniel Bell (New Zealand) 23.77 3 (NZ record).

50m butterfly: Matt Jaukovic (Australia) 22.28 1 (Commonwealth record), Corney Swanepoel (New Zealand) 22.60 2 (NZ record), Geoff Heugill (Australia) 22.80 3.

Semifinals
50m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders 27.21 2nd fastest.
100m individual medley: Bell 53.85 4th (NZ record).
50m freestyle: Hayley Palmer 24.50 1st
100m freestyle: Andrew McMillan 48.15 7th.
50m backstroke: Emily Thomas 27.37 4th (NZ record).
Heats: 50m backstroke: Thomas 27.50 4th fastest (NZ record).
100m freestyle: McMillan 48.78 12th.
100m individual medley: Bell 54.71 3.
50m freestyle: Palmer 24.47 2nd (NZ record).
50m breaststroke: Snyders 26.99 1st (NZ record).

- NZPA