The New Zealand Para Swimming Team have shown themselves as a strong force on the international stage. The team of five Para swimmers has been in stunning form across the 4-day World Para Swimming Series event in Berlin, wrapping up the event with 10 national and one Oceania record, a number 3 in the world ranked performance, three swimmers achieving Commonwealth Games qualifying times and 20 personal best times.
Celyn Edwards (Christchurch), Jesse Reynolds (Hamilton) and Chris Arbuthnott (Palmerston North) were the biggest contributors to the haul of achievements collectively smashing nine national and one Oceania record, two Commonwealth Games qualification times and Reynolds swimming into the world number 3 spot. While team mates and Rio 2016 Paralympians Rebecca Dubber (North Shore) and Tupou Neiufi (Howick Pakuranga) set a national record and swam a Commonwealth Games qualification time respectively.
Gary Francis (Para Swimming National Development Coach, Paralympics New Zealand) said, “This has been an outstanding meet for the New Zealand Para Swimming Team.“ He continued, “As the final event of the World Para Swimming Series the IDM Berlin Open is one of the most competitive events on the 2017 Para swimming calendar. This meet has provided an invaluable opportunity for the development of our Para swimmers on their road to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. With just over three years to go until Tokyo 2020 we will move forward with plenty of momentum.“
On the final day of competition Rio 2016 Paralympian Jesse Reynolds repeated his Commonwealth Games qualifying time in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9 (1:06.22), after making this mark early this year at the New Zealand Swim Opens. This performance ranked Reynolds at number 3 in the world.
Fellow Rio 2016 team mate Tupou Neiufi was thrilled with her time of 1:16.43 in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S9 achieving a Commonwealth Games qualifying time that has alluded her during competition this year.
International Para swimming debutant Celyn Edwards took his impressive national record haul at this event to a total of six, smashing the national record in the Men’s 50m Butterfly S8 (30.79) this morning.
| Para swimmer | Event | Heat Time | Final Time | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 4 RESULTS | Jesse Reynolds | 100 Back | 1:06.82 | 1:06.22 | Commonwealth Games MQS and top 3 performance in 2017 World Rankings |
| 200 IM | 2:29.86 | ||||
| Celyn Edwards | 50 Fly | 31.67 | 30.79 | National record | |
| Chris Arbuthnott | 100 Back | 1:08.68 | 1:09.43 | Commonwealth Games MQS | |
| 200 IM | 2:29.27 | 2:31.74 | |||
| Rebecca Dubber | 100 Back | 1:30.76 | 1:31.03 | ||
| 50 Fly | 53.34 | – | |||
| Tupou Neiufi | 100 Back | 1:17.78 | 1:16.43 | Commonwealth Games MQS |
| Para swimmer | Event | Heat Time | Final Time | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 3 RESULTS | Jesse Reynolds | Men’s 50 Free | 29.25 | – | |
| Men’s 100 Fly | 2:25.10 | 31.25 | Personal best | ||
| Celyn Edwards | Men’s 50 Free | 30.74 | – | National record | |
| Men’s 50 Breast | 41.47 | 41.23 | Oceania and National record | ||
| Chris Arbuthnott | Men’s 50 Free | 27.57 | – | ||
| Men’s 200 Fly | 2:20.87 | National record | |||
| Rebecca Dubber | Women’s 50 Free | 38.89 | – | ||
| Women’s 50 Breast | 53.70 | – | National record | ||
| Tupou Neiufi | Women’s 50 Free | 32.11 | – |
| Para swimmer | Event | Heat Time | Final Time | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 2 RESULTS | Jesse Reynolds | Men’s 100 Free | 1:00.90 | – | |
| Men’s 50 Back | 31.61 | 31.25 | Personal best | ||
| Celyn Edwards | Men’s 100 Free | 1:06.71 | – | National record | |
| Men’s 50 Bsck | 37.25 | 36.60 | National record | ||
| Chris Arbuthnott | Men’s 100 Free | 1:00.35 | – | ||
| Men’s 50 Back | 31.49 | 30.99 | National record | ||
| Rebecca Dubber | Women’s 100 Free | 1:19.01 | – | ||
| Women’s 50 Back | 43.38 | 43.15 | |||
| Tupou Neiufi | Women’s 100 Free | 1:13.55 | – | ||
| Women’s 50 Back | 35.81 | 35.27 |
| Para swimmer | Event | Heat Time | Final Time | Notes | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 1 RESULTS | Jesse Reynolds | Men’s 200 Free | 2:11.53 | 2:11.57 | National record | Personal best |
| Men’s 200 Back | 2:28.92 | |||||
| Celyn Edwards | Men’s 100 Fly | 1:07.84 | 1:07.46 | National record | Personal best | |
| Men’s 100 Breast | 1:29.98 | 1:29.47 | Commonwealth Games MQS | Personal best | ||
| Chris Arbuthnott | Men’s 200 Free | 2:16.99 | ||||
| Men’s 200 Back | 2:34.78 | Personal best | ||||
| Rebecca Dubber | Women’s 200 Free | 2:46.81 | 2:46.50 | |||
| Women’s 200 Back | 3:11.62 | |||||
| Tupou Neiufi | Women’s 200 Back | 2:55.99 |
· Live streaming of the Berlin World Series will be made available on World Para Swimming website
· Each race is run in mixed classification format. Para swimmers with different classifications will compete in the same race with the winner of each race calculated by comparison to the world record. The time that is within the closest percentage of the World Record time in that Para swimmer’s class wins.
· The IDM Berlin Open is the final event that makes up the World Para Swimming Event Series. IPC Swimming World Championships will attract more than 600 Para swimmers from 52 nations
· The event is taking place on 6 – 9 July 2017 (CEST) in Berlin, Germany.
