The Dunedin Olympian glided to the women’s 400m freestyle title in 4min02.35sec at the national championships at the Hawke’s Bay Aquatic Centre last night.
Eve Thomas (Coast) finished second in 4min06.41sec and Dunedin swimmer Caitlin Deans (Neptune) won bronze in 4min 11.66sec. Ruby Heath and Emilia Finer (both Neptune) finished fourth and eighth respectively.
Fairweather (Neptune) led the race from the start, but was shy of her personal best of 3min 59.44sec which she set at the world championships earlier this year.
Zac Reid (Neptune) added another silver to his tally in the men’s 400m freestyle, finishing in 3min 48.61sec.
Olympian Lewis Clareburt (Club 37) broke a 12-year national record when he won in 3min 46.85sec, just 0.07 off an Olympic qualifying time. He broke Matthew Stanley’s record of 3min 47.09sec, set in 2012.
Liam McGowan (Oamaru) finished fourth in the men’s 100m butterfly and Esme Paterson and Poppy Henderson (both Neptune) finished fourth and eighth respectively in the women’s 100m butterfly.
Hazel Ouwehand (Phoenix) — who won the women’s 100m butterfly national title — set a national record and swam in Olympic qualification time of 57.43sec in yesterday morning’s heat.
Meg McLaughlan (Kiwi) finished seventh in the women’s 200m breaststroke and Caleb Ludlow (Alexandra) finished eighth in the men’s event.
