Seven entered from Otago

SEVEN Otago swimmers are set to compete against New Zealand’s best next week.

The national open championships begin at the Sir Owen G. Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland on Monday and run through to Friday.

The meeting also doubles as official trials for the Fina World Championships, to be held in Budapest in July.

Having won a silver medal last year, Neptune’s Andrew Trembath will be among the contenders again.

The 20yearold swam a longcourse personalbest time of 4min 32.20sec to finish second in last year’s 400m IM final. He went close to breaking that time again in June last year, but has swum the event only once in 2017.

After finishing fourth in both the 100m and 200m backstroke, he will be looking to creep into the medals in those events too.

The 200m looks particularly promising: he swam a 2min 04.79sec personal best in his last race.

He will also compete in the 200m IM and 100m breaststroke.

Jeremy Tasker is Neptune’s oldest entrant, at 22. He returns after making four finals last year.

He will contest the 100m and 400m freestyle, as well as the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly.

Three 17yearolds round out the team, with talented youngsters Caitlin Deans, Courtland Ellis and Ben Carr all looking to test themselves.

Stefannie Gillespie is Zenith’s sole entrant.

The 22yearold will swim the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, having finished fifth in the 1500m last year.

Wanaka’s Hamish McLean, who went to last year’s Paralympics, will compete in five paraevents: the 50m butterfly, 100m and 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m IM.

Six of New Zealand’s Olympians from Rio will compete and several international competitors will also be in action.

The heats begin daily from 10am, with the finals being held in the evening sessions from 7pm.