Swimming: Swanepoel sets Olympic sights higher

Corney Swanepoel's performance at the national swimming championships has raised his own expectations about how far he might go in the Athens Olympics.

The 18-year-old Auckland schoolboy was on Tuesday confirmed as New Zealand's 100m butterfly representative at the Games in August.

In the nationals in his adopted home town last week, the South African-born Swanepoel lowered his personal best for the event by almost a second.

He stopped the clock at 52.50s, an achievement that would have put him among the finalists at last year's world championships, where he finished 19th.

"Before this meet, I just wanted to make the Olympic final, which is the top eight," he said.

"But the time I swam would have got me into eighth place in the world championships, so I think I'll set my sights a bit higher and go for top five."

Swanepoel's time at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in Henderson put him inside the Olympic A qualifying mark, making his selection a formality.

He said the moment it hit home that his dream of going to an Olympics would become a reality was "awesome".

"It's pretty much what you work for when you take a sport seriously - it's the high point of a career," he said.

"When I touched at the end of the race and realised I had made the qualifying time, I was absolutely beside myself. It was very exciting."

Swanepoel is one of coach Jan Cameron's formidable contingent at the North Shore club, which has provided all but three of the 13-strong Olympic squad.

The Rangitoto College seventh former arrived in New Zealand with his family three years ago, and quickly began making his mark with his swimming skills at national level.

He made his international debut at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival last year, before going to Spain for the world championships.

- NZPA