Triple Threat: OBHS aquatic aces make a splash at National Championships!
By Annika Bokor | Posted: Wednesday May 1, 2024
The recent National Age Group Championships in Hastings showcased the power of three OBHS swimmers: Oliver Isles, Neo Salomonsson and Taka Sugiyama.
The long days consisted of heat swims in the mornings, with the top 10 in each age group qualifying for the finals that were held in the evening.
Oliver, the youngest member of the squad, made his debut at the National event with remarkable intensity. He took on an impressive tally of 8 events, including all backstroke distances. Despite not achieving a PB time in the 50 backstroke, Oliver demonstrated his resilience by delivering exceptional performances in the 100 and 200 backstroke, slashing off 2 and 7 seconds respectively. While he fell short of his PB in the 100 freestyle, Oliver produced a notable improvement in the 50 freestyle. With a time of 27.53 he shaved off nearly 0.4 seconds of his previous PB. However, it was in breaststroke where Oliver truly excelled, securing a spot in the finals for both the 50 and 100 breaststroke events, accompanied by impressive personal bests across all distances. Notably, his time of 33.89 in the 50 breaststroke heat swim left a lasting impression. Oliver's achievements speak volumes, perhaps even benefiting from the ‘magic’ of Taka's dome cap he sported (see photo). With an 8th place finish in the 100 breaststroke final and a noteworthy performance in the 50 breaststroke, placing 7th, Oliver is following Taka’s lead in becoming a phenomenal breaststroker.
Albeit battling with a tightness in his back, Taka showed his resilience by tackling a challenging line up of 7 events, including the demanding 200 and 400 IM. While he delivered strong performances, staying close to his personal best times in most events, Taka just narrowly missed securing spots in the finals. Taka pushed his limits further by competing in additional gruelling events, such as the 400 and 800 free, along with the 200 free and breaststroke. His decision to challenge himself in these disciplines highlights his determination and commitment to excellence. In the midst of his rigorous schedule, Taka also demonstrated his skill in the 100 breaststroke. With a time of 1:13.95 he showed how breaststroke is done; an amazing swim which he repeated in the medley relay. Despite not hitting the times he’d hoped for (this time!), Taka maintained a positive attitude and determination throughout the competition.
Despite grappling with a neck injury before the meet and throughout the week, Neo demonstrated commitment as he pushed through the pain to compete. Unfortunately, the injury prevented him from performing 100% and eventually forced him to withdraw from the competition, just as his eagerly anticipated event, the 200 fly, approached. Nevertheless, Neo's determination and skill shone through, and he secured places in the finals for all events except the 50 free. Although he was well over his PB, he placed 7th in the 100 fly but clinched a bronze medal in the 50 fly, clocking an impressive time of 26.27 seconds. With this time, Neo also improved upon his own Otago record by shaving off 0.22 seconds. Furthermore, Neo achieved two personal bests in the 50 backstroke, dipping below the long course 29-second mark, and ultimately securing 8th place. Despite facing tough competition in the 50 free from larger opponents, Neo surged forward, achieving a significant PB time of 25.60 seconds, a result he was very happy with. However, Neo's most unexpected result came in the 100 free, where he defied expectations by slashing a full second from his recent long course PB, and with a time of 55.15 he secured a commendable 5th place.
Neo and Taka also joined forces to compete in the challenging 4 x 100 free and medley relays. With Neo swimming up to the 16&O age group due to his older teammates now being 16, their team had the youngest combined age among all competing teams. Despite their young age, they earned themselves spots in the final fastest heats for both relay events. In the free relay, they delivered an admirable performance, securing a 9th place finish, while finishing 10th in the medley relay. Impressively, they now stand just a second shy of the long course 4x100 men's open freestyle relay Otago record!
Overall, it’s been a good meet, with its fair share of twists and turns, but brace yourselves New Zealand, because the OBHS swimmers are ready to make some waves!
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