Swimming: No medals for NZ team on final day

New Zealand's swim team couldn't add to their medal haul as they wrapped a successful six-week campaign at the World University Games in Turkey today.

The team qualified for one A final and five B finals, and although they couldn't add to their medal haul of three, coach Thomas Ansorg said the overall results were a significant step for the sport in this country.

"At the end of the meet the swimmers were so popular with other teams wanting to swap gear. After our efforts at the world championships and now here in Turkey, the swimming world is starting to take some notice of us," Ansorg said.

The swim team secured a record three medals to go with 12 A finals and 13 B finals.

"We need to put the world championships and now these World University Games together to say that it has been a very important step forward by the New Zealand swimmers," said Ansorg, who paid tribute to coach Jan Cameron for her influence.

World championship short course medallist Melissa Ingram placed seventh in the final of the 200m backstroke with a strong 2min 16.77sec swim.

Others to contest B finals included Wellington's Aleisha Keating who produced a personal best in the 200m butterfly.

North Shore's Helen Norfolk continued her backstroke development to improve her as a medley swimmer and West Auckland Aquatics' Sarah Vettoretti made the most of her late addition to the 100m breaststroke final to finish sixth.

Team captain Alison Fitch of North Shore swam her second fastest 50m freestyle of 26.37sec to place fifth in the B final just ahead of Christchurch's Georgina Toomey, who produced another personal best.

While the conditions were far from ideal in Turkey with extreme heat and travel, it provided an important experience for the swimmers, Ansorg said.

The team return home for a much-needed break before starting their buildup for the Commonwealth Games trials in December.

New Zealand results, day six:-

Heats:

200m butterfly: Aleisha Keating (Capital) 2:18.84 13, Megan Allan (Aqua Gym, Chch) 2:23.97 19.
50m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders (North Shore) 29.44 26, Richard Adamson (Aqua Gym) 30.15 34.
200m backstroke: Melissa Ingram (North Shore) 2:16.87 7, Helen Norfolk (North Shore) 2:19.60 10.
50m freestyle: Matt Thomas (Hawke's Bay) 23.58 27, Cameron Gibson (North Shore) 24.22 44.
100m breaststroke: Sarah Vettoretti (West Auckland Aquatics) 1:14.30 18.
50m freestyle: Alison Fitch (North Shore) and Georgina Toomey (Jasi, Chch) 26.54 equal 13.
Men 4x100m medley relay: New Zealand 3:46.75 1. (Gibson 57.53, Snyders 1:04.18, Moss Burmester 54.06, Thomas 50.98).

A final:

200m backstroke: Ingram 2:16.77 8.

B final:

200m butterfly: Keating 2:19.33 6.
200m backstroke: Norfolk 2:18.28 2.
100m breaststroke: Vettoretti 1:13.94 6.
50m freestyle: Fitch 26.37 5, Toomey 26.55 6.

- NZPA