Event Preview of the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha
An experienced New Zealand Swimming squad of eight athletes is in Doha for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships which begin this Sunday 11 February.
The team is headlined by Olympians Lewis Clareburt from Wellington (now based in Auckland, Club 37) and Erika Fairweather (Dunedin, Neptune & Swim Dunedin).
20-year-old Fairweather won bronze in the 400m Freestyle at last year’s World Championships and heads into this year’s event as the number one ranked athlete in the distance, with a number of international competitors opting to miss the event as they focus on Olympic preparation.
“I’m really excited to be at another World Championships,” said Fairweather.
“We’ve had a great training block and the team’s feeling good to go so we’re looking forward to getting in the pool and showing what we’re capable of.”
Clareburt is the other World Championships medallist in the squad, having won bronze in the 400m Individual Medley in 2019.
Adding further experience to the team is Andrew Jeffcoat (Club 37), who’ll contest the 200m, 100m and 50m Backstroke. The Auckland swimmer will be looking to build on an impressive 2023 World Championships where he placed 13th in the 100m event and made the final in the 50m event.
It’ll be a busy meet for Eve Thomas (Coast) who’s been selected in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle as well as the 4x200m freestyle relay. She’ll be joined by Caitlin Deans (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) in the 1500m freestyle.
Coast’s Cameron Gray also returns from the 2023 World Championships, selected to contest the 100m and 50m Freestyle as well as the 100m and 50m Butterfly. Rounding out the squad is Summer Osborne (North Shore) and Laticia-Leigh Transom (Ice Breaker Aquatics) who will compete in the 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay.
The 2024 World Aquatics Championships is a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with athletes required to swim under the qualification times to qualify a spot.
It’s the start of a huge year for the athletes with the 2024 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships, the only other Paris qualification event for the New Zealanders, being held in the Hawke's Bay on 9 - 13 April. The swim programme at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games then begins on 27 July, running through to 4 August.
“Swimmer for swimmer, this will be one of the strongest squads we’ve taken away in a long time,” said Swimming NZ's Olympic Programme Lead, Gary Francis.
“Everyone in this team will have ambitions to make semis and finals here in Doha and we’re really looking forward to the opportunity to test ourselves.”
Francis says although some international athletes have opted not to attend the event, Swimming New Zealand and its athletes decided the event would provide a great international test ahead of Paris.
“New Zealand’s swimmers always value the opportunity to race at international level and in conjunction with our athletes we decide this is another great racing opportunity for us in preparation for Paris.”
Competition begins on Sunday 11 February with heats from 7pm NZDT and finals from 5am NZDT the following morning.
You can watch the livestream through the World Aquatics Recast platform by purchasing access from the link below.
In addition to our swimmers, we also have some technical officials officiating in Doha at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. We would like to congratulate and recognise each of the following for their roles:
Greg Forsythe (Wellington) - Open Water
John West (Auckland) - Open Water (World Aquatics OWTSC)
Ross Gillespie (Northland) - Pool (Starter)
Jacqui Forsythe (Wellington) - Pool
Lesley Huckins (Canterbury West Coast) - Pool (World Aquatics TSC)
Stay up-to-date with all of the action on our Swimming NZ social media throughout the championships.
2024 World Aquatics Championships Team
Lewis Clareburt (#257) - Club 37
200m Individual Medley
400m Individual Medley
200m Butterfly
Laticia-Leigh Transom (#264) - Ice Breaker Aquatics
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
Erika Fairweather (#266) - Neptune & Swim Dunedin
200m Freestyle
400m Freestyle
800m Freestyle
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
Eve Thomas (#270) - Coast
400m Freestyle
800m Freestyle
1500m Freestyle
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
Caitlin Deans (#276) – Neptune & Swim Dunedin
1500m Freestyle
Cameron Gray (#277) - Coast
100m Freestyle
50m Freestyle
50m Butterfly
100m Butterfly
Andrew Jeffcoat (#279) - Club 37
200m Backstroke
100m Backstroke
50m Backstroke
Summer Osborne (#286) - North Shore
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
Support Staff
Lars Humer - Swim Dunedin (Coach)
Michael Weston - Coast (Coach)
Mitch Nairn - Club 37 (Coach)
Gary Francis (Team Leader)
Megan Munro (Physiotherapist)
New Zealand Team Schedule
Day One (11 Feb)
Men’s 50m Butterfly – Cameron Gray
Women’s 400m Freestyle – Erika Fairweather, Eve Thomas
Day Two (12 Feb)
Men’s 100m Backstroke – Andrew Jeffcoat
Women’s 1500m Freestyle – Caitlin Deans, Eve Thomas
Day Three (13 Feb)
Women’s 200m Freestyle – Erika Fairweather
Men’s 200m Butterfly – Lewis Clareburt
Day Four (14 Feb)
Men’s 100m Freestyle – Cameron Gray
Men’s 200m Individual Medley – Lewis Clareburt
Day Five (15 Feb)
Men’s 200m Backstroke – Andrew Jeffcoat
Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay– Erika Fairweather, Laticia Transom, Eve Thomas, Summer Osborne
Day Six (16 Feb)
Men’s 100m Butterfly – Cameron Gray
Men’s 50m Freestyle – Cameron Gray
Women’s 800m Freestyle – Erika Fairweather, Eve Thomas
Day Seven (17 Feb)
Men’s 50m Backstroke – Andrew Jeffcoat
Day Eight (18 Feb)
Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Lewis Clareburt
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