Swimming: Talent set to emerge in Brazil

The focus turns to teenage talent when New Zealanders contest the world youth swimming championships starting in Brazil tomorrow.

Swimming New Zealand director of coaching Clive Rushton said the inaugural five-day event in Rio de Janeiro presented a tremendous opportunity to develop talent.

"We have taken a very young group to Brazil. It is an 18 years-and-under competition but all of our swimmers are 15 or 16 years," Rushton said.

"We set the selection standard at the 18 years level so they did very well to qualify. I expect this to be a very competitive competition.

"If we are able to get swimmers through to finals it will be an outstanding performance."

New Zealand team:

Shane Patience (Kapiti Coast), Kane Radford (Rotorua), Kurt Bassett (Auckland), Orinoco Faamausili-Banse (Auckland), Emily Thomas (Gisborne), Natalie Wiegersma (Southland), Penelope Marshall (Tauranga).

- NZPA