Life is cool in the pool for Neo Salomonsson, Taka Sugiyama and Aleks Kivilev

By Annika Bokor | Posted: Monday August 14, 2023

The swimming season is in full swing and three of our boys headed off to compete at the New Zealand Short Course Championships held in Hastings (8-12 August). This is the pinnacle National short course event that includes age group placings.

Qualifying for the event itself is not an easy feat and the hard work the boys have put into their training is indeed showing.

After recently returning from the New Zealand school championships Neo had another successful outing. He chose to swim seven of the 11 events he had qualified for and raced in the timed age group finals (top 10) for all. Neo placed in the top three in four of these events and broke two more Otago short course age group records. Neo’s age group placings were:

· 200 fly – Gold
· 50 fly – Silver (and a new Otago record with a time of 26.52)
· 100 fly – Bronze
· 50 back – Bronze (and a new Otago record with a time of 27.55)
· 100 back – 5th
· 100 free – 7th
· 50 free – 9th

Taka also pushed his body to the limits after recently returning from the school championships. He raced all the nine events he had qualified for and put on a solid performance throughout. The highlight would have been one of his strength events, 50 breast. With a time of 32.36 he etched even closer to breaking the 32 second barrier. Taka also had a great 200 breast race where he produced a 2 second personal breast, but an incorrect wall touch unfortunately got him disqualified. Taka’s age group placings were:

· 50 breast – 10th
· 400 free – 13th
· 100 breast – 15th
· 100 IM breast – 21st
· 200 IM breast – 23rd
· 50 free – 24th
· 100 free – 26th
· 200 breast – DQ

Aleks swam on the first day, racing the 100 IM and 200 breast events where he produced a PBs in both. A 3 second personal best in 200 breast was particularly impressive. Aleks’s age group placings were:

· 200 breast – 9th
· 100 IM – 13th

It is now time for the boys to prepare for the long course season that starts in a couple of months, but they may sneak in some smaller regional competitions before the short course season ends. 

Just keep swimming boys!

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