Swimming: Pan Pacific hard work for New Zealanders

New Zealand swimmers struggled to impress in a disappointing finals session at the Pan Pacific championships in Yokohama, Japan.

The only finalist, 100m backstroker Hannah McLean, was eighth and last in a time of 1m 03.28s - 3.56s behind the meet record time of American Natalie Coughlin.

Of the seven NZ semifinalists in the session, only one advanced, and that was through luck.

Toni Jeffs was only ninth-fastest in the women's 50m freestyle heats but, with each country allowed just two finalists, the elimination of some Australian and American swimmers meant Jeffs qualified sixth.

Her semifinal time of 26.05s was more than half-a-second outside her bronze medal-winning time at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

A repeat of her Games time in the final will probably put her on the podium.

Meanwhile, only Ian Thorpe could be critical of himself after swimming the fourth-quickest time in history in the 200m freestyle.

The 19-year-old said he felt "foolish," despite winning his third gold medal of the meet in 1m 44.75s.

"I did things that I shouldn't do in races."

- NZPA