Top swimmers win Harbour Crossing

Codie Grimsey and Cara Baker after the Harbour Crossing. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Top Australian swimmer Codie Grimsey and New Zealander Cara Baker have scooped the major honours at the Harbour Crossing, the opening round of the national ocean swimming series at Auckland today.

Grimsey, 19, dominated the men's race, winning ahead of a clutch of world class New Zealanders including defending champion Bryn Murphy, of Dunedin, who came in second some twenty seconds behind.

The men's podium was rounded out by relative unknown local swimmer Matthew Stanley, the promising youngster out sprinting the more experienced ocean water swimmer, Phillip Ryan.

Three-time winner Kane Radford, from Rotorua, had to settle for fifth on an overcast and rainy Auckland morning.

Former Aucklander Baker, now living in Queensland, took line honours in the women's event, beating off the challenge from Auckland's Lauren Boyle in the swim from Bayswater on the North Shore to the Viaduct in Auckland City.

International backstroker Melissa Ingram who won the event in 2006, finished third.

The next round, from Russel to Paihia, is on December 11.

Leading placings from round one of the national ocean swim series at Auckland today:

Elite men: Codie Grimsey (Australia) 33m 18sec 1, Bryn Murphy (Dunedin) 33:38 2, Matthew Stanley (Auckland) 34:53 3, Phillip Ryan (Auckland) 34:54 4, Kane Radford (Rotorua) 35:57 5.

Elite women: Cara Baker (Auckland) 36:15 1, Lauren Boyle (Auckland) 38:30 2, Melissa Ingram (Auckland) 38:31 3, Jessie Blundell (Auckland) 38:54 4, Brenda Russell (Auckland) 38:59 5.

- NZPA