Blueseventy athletes dominate Aussie Open Water Champs

This weekend the open water stars of Australia and New Zealand competed in the 2011 Australian Open Water Championships at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith. Not only national titles were up for grabs, but also spots at the 10k event at the World Championships to be held in Shanghai in July. Strong performances at Shanghai also hold the promise of Olympic selection, making this event even more important.

Kane & Cara after winning NZ Corsair Classic.
Pic: Mark Tantrum Photography

Blueseventy athletes dominated the open categories, with Ky Hurst taking home Gold (by just 1sec!) in the mens 10k, and it was a clean sweep for blueseventy in the women's 10k with Melissa Gorman, Cara Baker and Danielle DeFrancesco taking 1st - 3rd respectively.  All qualified for the 10k World Championships.  Trusty NeroTX does it again!

Kane Radford took gold in the 5k which unfortunately wasn't enough for a berth at Shanghai, having finished 7th in the 10k.  Not content with their 10k medals, Danielle DeFrancesco took home silver in the 5k - missing  the gold by just 3secs, with Cara Baker grabbing the bronze.  Well that was worth getting out of bed for!

Men’s 10km
1. Ky Hurst (QLD) 1:55.04
2. Rhys Mainstone (QLD) 1:55.05
3. Trent Grimsey (QLD) 1:55.10

Women’s 10km
1. Melissa Gorman (QLD) 1:59.03
2. Cara Baker (New Zealand) 2:03.55
3. Danielle DeFrancesco (QLD) 2:04.02

Men’s 5km
1 Kane Radford (New Zealand) – 56:30
2 Codie Grimsey (QLD) - 56:32
3 Trent Grimsey (QLD) - 56:43

Women’s 5km
1 Bonnie MacDonald (QLD) – 59.18
2 Danielle DeFrancesco (QLD) – 59.21
3 Cara Baker (News Zealand) – 1:00.49

kiwi swimmer Cara Baker qualifies for open water world champs!

Australian-based kiwi swimmer Cara Baker has earned qualification to this year’s FINA world open water championships.
The former Manawatu swimmer, who now resides and trains in Miami, Queensland with legendary coach Dennis Cotterell, produced a superb performance to finish second behind world champion Melissa Gorman in the 10km race at the Australian Open Water Championships in Victoria at the weekend.

She followed this with an outstanding effort to upstage Gorman, the 5km world champion, to take out the 5km race.
The Australian championships doubled as the official trial for the New Zealand swimmers for this year’s world championships to be staged in Canada on 15-23 July. Baker will be the only New Zealand representative in the open water at the world championships, with swimmers having to finish in the top four in Australia.

Swimming New Zealand open water coach Philip Rush was delighted with the continued development from Baker.
“Cara has improved further since the national championships and was outstanding. She managed to hold Gorman for most of the way in the 10km and was in a class of her own in the 5km.

Behind Baker in the 10km Olympic event was her sister Laura and Alannah Jury followed by Georgia Hind and Charlotte Webby in 11th and 12th respectively.

Auckland’s Philip Ryan (Waterhole) was the best of the New Zealand men in the 10km, finishing in seventh place just ahead of Rotorua’s Kane Radford in solid performances with the title won by Australian Rhys Mainstone in 1:53.53. Radford was the only kiwi in the top-10 of the men’s 5km in eighth place only 25 seconds behind winner Trent Grimsey.

Following Baker home in the women’s 5km was Webby in seventh, Jury ninth, Hind 12th and Laura Baker 15th.

New Zealand results, Australian Open Water Swim Championships:
Men, 10km: Rhys Mainstone (AUS) 1:53.53, 1; David Browne (AUS) 1:54.02, 2; George O’Brien (AUS) 1:54.39, 3. Also New Zealanders: Philip Ryan 1:55.58, 7; Kane Radford 1:56.26, 8; Bryn Murphy 1:59.35, 14; Stefan Talbot 2:01.39, 20; Isaac Foote 2:02.13, 21; Casey Glover 2:07.23, 22.
5km: Trent Grimsey (AUS) 56.23, 1; Andrew Beato (AUS) 56.28, 2; David Brown (AUS) 56.40, 3. Also New Zealanders: Radford 56.49, 8; Ryan 56.59, 12; Andrew Pullon 57.22, 19; Talbot 57:41, 21; Foote 1:02.41, 23.
Under-16, 5km: Mitchell Nairn 1:00.05, 4.
Women, 10km: Melissa Gorman (AUS) 2:03.17, 1; Cara Baker (NZL) 2:03.23, 2; Stacey Hansford (AUS) 2:03.29, 3. Other New Zealanders: Laura Baker 2:07.36, 6; Alannah Jury 2:07.41, 8; Georgia Hind 2:08.19, 11; Charlotte Webby 2:08.23, 12.
5km: Baker 1:00.20, 1; Bonnie MacDonald 1:00.27, 2; Danielle DeFrancesco 1:00.29, 3. Other New Zealanders: Webby 1:00.43, 7; Jury 1:01.25, 9; Hind 1:01.34, 12; L Baker 1:02.04, 15.