Swimming: Ocean yields up prizes for elite swimmers

Moss Burmester (top) managed to beat Rosie the dog and Richard Turner yesterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Elite pool swimmers are set to cash in in more ways than one from a new ocean-racing circuit.

The five-race Sovereign New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, which starts in Auckland next month and will, for the first time, be contested around the country, offers prizemoney for the elite and the opportunity for all participants to contribute to the high performance swim team.

Organiser Scott Rice outlined the objectives for the series to be swum in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Tauranga with the finale being the annual King of the Bays from Milford to Takapuna. "We want to provide profile and semi-professional competition for elite swimmers of all backgrounds [including pool and surf]," he said. "At the same time, we want to encourage participation from average New Zealanders to promote good health and well-being."

Previous races in Auckland have provided close, hard racing with the 2.8km swims often decided in the last few strokes.

The series, launched yesterday with a function at the Viaduct Basin close to where the opening Harbour Crossing on November 19 will finish, has been endorsed by top coach Jan Cameron who sees it as a different, but complementary, part of the programme for the elite swimmers in her squad preparing for December's national championships/world championship trials in Auckland, next year's world championships in Melbourne and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In a short swim to mark the launch, Commonwealth champion Moss Burmester, swimming butterfly, just failed to overcome the handicap given radio personality Jeremy Corbett but he did beat perennial competitor Rosie the dog and former All Black Richard Turner.