Swimming: Wiegersma continues good form

Natalie Wiegersma. Photo / Richard Robinson

Southland's Natalie Wiegersma continues to lead the way for Kiwi swimmers in the Queensland championships in Brisbane.

Following her second placing in the 400m individual medley, she has finished third in the 200m individual medley, as well as a close fifth place in the final of the 200m backstroke.

The national record holder qualified third fastest in the medley in 2:16.51 and reduced that to 2:15.74 in the final to finish behind Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Games gold medallist Emily Seebohm, of Australia, and Japanese national champion Tomoyo Fukuda.

Seebohm proved her class in edging Fukuda in the final of the 200m backstroke, with Wiegersma fifth in 2:13.59, just 2/100ths of a second out of the tie for third place.

Results, 200m individual medley: Emily Seebohm (AUS) 2:13.37, 1; Tomoyo Fukuda (JPN) 2:14.87, 2; Natalie Wiegersma (NZL) 2:15.74, 3.

200m backstroke: Seebohm 2:10.59, 1; Fukuda 2:12.91, 2; Jenni O'Neill (AUS) and Ellen Fullerton (AUS) 2:13.57, equal 3. Also: Wiegersma 2:13.59, 5.