Swimming: NZ's tough standards paying off

DUNEDIN - New Zealand swimming has lifted its standards over the last two years and national coach Brett Naylor expects a big team to be sent to the Sydney Olympics next year.

Four swimmers have already reached the tough qualifying standards and another nine are close to the mark.

New Zealand is expected to send relay teams, adding three more swimmers to lift the team numbers to 16.

"We've always set tough standards," Naylor said while coaching in Dunedin. "Our goal is to get everyone into the top 16.

"All indicators suggest we have the potential for a very big team at Sydney. It could be our biggest ever."

The national selectors have maintained a close liaison with the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association and the two groups have agreed on the qualifying standards.

"Our times have been set from current world rankings and the International Swimming Federation times," Naylor said.

The swimming standards contrast with the athletics qualifying marks, which are set higher than the International Amateur Athletics Federation's marks.

"Track and field has been screwed because of its inability to communicate with the New Zealand Olympic Committee," Naylor said. "Athletics did not perform at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and their selectors have been dictated to."

New Zealand swimming has helped its own case by making sure that swimmers perform at their best when competing overseas.

The Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association "told athletics that its athletes were not successful enough when competing overseas," Naylor said. "They have made the athletics standard harder."

New Zealand swimmers are putting in the base preparation and it is starting to pay dividends.

"It is not just about next year but also the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and the Olympics in 2004," Naylor said.

New Zealand swimmers who qualified at the Pan Pacific championships in Sydney this year are: Helen Norfolk (Canterbury) 400m individual medley, Nikki Tanner (Auckland) 200m backstroke, Steven Ferguson (Auckland) 200m breaststroke, and Scott Talbot-Cameron (Auckland) 200m backstroke.

Swimmers close to the qualifying standard are Van Welie (Otago) 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley, Dean Kent (Auckland) 400m individual medley and 200m breaststroke, Paul Kent (Auckland) 100m breaststroke, Joli Workman (North Shore) 100m breaststroke, Jonathan Duncan (Otago) 400m freestyle, Scott Cameron (Otago) 200m freestyle, Trent Bray (Auckland) 200m freestyle, Toni Jeffs (Wellington) 100m freestyle, Vivian Rignall (Wellington) freestyle sprints. - NZPA