Pedersen Headlines Kiwis Producing Their Best In Canberra
Our New Zealand team have produced a number of personal best performances at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships held from 21 – 24 August at the Australian Institute of Sport. Our team of eight swimmers have represented the country proudly at our pinnacle junior international competition for 2024, facing off against some talented young swimmers from countries around the Pacific, including charter nations Australia, United States of America, Japan and Canada.
Zoe Pedersen (Coast) was the standout Kiwi swimmer, earning two fifth place finishes and a NZ Age Record leading off the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay, with the team putting in a stirling effort to place an extremely competitive fourth.
The team secured eight A Finals and four B Finals appearances across the four days of racing, notching nine personal bests, including one NZ Age Record.
Congratulations to the swimmers, their coaches and support team for their performances in Canberra.
Day One Wrap
Milana Tapper (St Peter's) came into the championships in fine form, and continued in that manner in the Women's 200m Freestyle. The 18-year-old swam a solid heat swim (2:02.53) to progress through to the A Final in the evening. Tapper got the Kiwis campaign off to a great start, swimming just outside her personal best from Hawke's Bay earlier this year to place sixth (2:01.90) in the final. This time also secured her a World Aquatics "B" time for Budapest.
Isabelle Gibson (Club 37) produced the fifth fastest swim of her career in the heats of the Women's 100m Backstroke to qualify for the A Final (1:02.52). She bettered her heats swim in the final to touch seventh (1:02.46).
Milan Glintmeyer (Coast) also featured in the Women's 100m Backstroke. She was outside her personal best time in the heats (1:03.40) to qualify for the B Final. She dropped a new personal best time in the evening (1:01.56), cutting 0.66 seconds off her previous mark from the 2023 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships, placing Glintmeyer third in the B Final.
Brendan Visser (Coast) opened his schedule with the Men's 200m Freestyle. Visser was off his best in the morning heats (1:54.61) to scrape into the B Final. Visser improved his time by a whole second in the evening to place seventh in the B Final (1:53.61).
Jasper Cornish (Coast) was the other swimmer in action on the first day, racing the Men's 100m Backstroke. Cornish (58.57) was outside his best to place 17th overall.
Day Two Wrap
Zoe Pedersen (Coast) was the headline performer on day two, producing two personal bests in the the Women's 100m Freestyle. She qualified for the A Final with a time of 55.48, before bettering that in the final (55.47) to finish fifth overall.
Amelia Bray (North Shore) also produced two career best times in the same event, dropping nearly a second off her previous best effort across her morning and evening swims. Bray had a strong heat swim (56.29) to qualify for the B Final, before continuing that form in the B Final to place fourth (56.07).
Milana Tapper (St Peter's - 57.07) and Milan Glintmeyer (Coast - 57.62) also featured in the heats of the Women's 100m Freestyle, placing 23rd and 28th respectively.
Harrison Klouwens (North Shore - 52.14) and Brendan Visser (Coast - 53.93) were outside their best in the Men's 100m Freestyle, facing tough competition to place 27th and 37th respectively.
Day Three Wrap
The Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay was the highlight from day three in Canberra. Zoe Pedersen (Coast - 55.43) equalled the 17 Years NZ Age Record in the lead off to get the team off to an excellent start. Amelia Bray (North Shore) continued her form from the previous day on the second leg before handing off to Milan Glintmeyer (Coast). Milana Tapper (St Peter's) anchored the team home in a blistering split (55.41) to finish just outside the podium, finishing behind a strong Canadian team. The team placed fourth overall (3:44.85) in an excellent team performance.
Isabelle Gibson (Club 37) was the other Kiwi to reach the evening session, qualifying for the B Final of the Women's 200m Backstroke. After a solid heats performance (2:17.80), Gibson took sixth place in the B Final (2:21.40).
Amelia Bray (North Shore - 1:02.10 - 19th) and Zoe Pedersen (Coast - 1:02.11 - 20th) were nearly inseparable in the Women's 100m Butterfly heats, with Milan Glintmeyer (Coast - 1:02.34 - 22nd) just behind.
Brendan Visser (Coast - 4:06.47) was also in action, racing the Men's 400m Freestyle. Visser placed 21st overall, not able to replicate his form from earlier in the year.
Day Four Wrap
The splash and dash of 50m Freestyle saw the New Zealand team achieve four A Finals on the final day of competition.
Zoe Pedersen (Coast - 25.55) and Amelia Bray (North Shore - 25.88) qualified for the A Final with impressive heat swims. Pedersen (25.43) improved on her performance from the heat to place fifth in the Women's 50m Freestyle. While Bray (25.78) achieved her second personal best of the day by going faster again in the final to finish just behind in sixth.
Milana Tapper (St Peter's 26.61 - 22nd), Milan Glintmeyer (Coast - 26.86 - 23rd) and Isabelle Gibson (Club 37 - 28.00 - 32nd) also competed in the heats with times just outside their personal bests.
Harrison Klouwens (North Shore - 23.02) qualified third fastest for the A Final with a rapid heat swim, with Jasper Cornish (Coast - 23.39) also sneaking into the A Final in the Men's 50m Freestyle. Both swimmers acquitted themselves well in the evening, touching equal sixth in the final with a time of 23.08, marking a personal best for Cornish.
