Swimming: Sheeran takes fourth title

North Shore's Nicholas Sheeran served notice he is far from a spent force in New Zealand swimming, clinching his fourth title at the national winter championships in Dunedin last night.

Sheeran, who missed selection for next month's Sydney Olympics by 0.4 seconds, took out two titles on the third night of competition.

He won the 200m freestyle emphatically over Olympians Dean Kent and Jonathan Duncan and 15 minutes later returned to the pool to take the 100m butterfly.

The 22-year-old, studying to become a chiropractor, could lift his gold medal tally to six with the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly in tonight's final session.

He will chase in-form Olympian Helen Norfolk of Canterbury, who claimed her fifth title, adding the 100m backstroke honours to the 200m and 400m individual medley, 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke.

She had to fight hard tonight, coming from fourth off the last turn to edge out fellow Sydney Olympian Monique Robins (North Shore).

The 16-year-old Robins, the youngest member of the New Zealand Olympic team, was also pipped for victory in the 100m freestyle by German-based Vivienne Rignall.

- NZPA