Competition Wrap – 2024 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships
A team of 17 swimmers from both the Olympic and Paralympic pathways raced at the 2024 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre over the past week. Regarded as one of the most challenging age group swimming competitions in the world, it was a great opportunity for the team to match up to some of the best swimmers across the championships.
Ariel Muchirahondo (Swim Rotorua - coached by Aidan Withington-Edwards) and Rylee Sayer (Matamata - coached by Graeme Laing) continued to showcase their development as both brought home multiple medals and broke New Zealand records (age or Multi-Class, respectively) along the way.
Muchirahondo broke two New Zealand 15 years age records at the book ends of the championships, kickstarting his campaign with a blistering men's 200m backstroke to claim gold in the 15 years age group to break Corey Main's previous age record by just over a second (2:03.39). On the final day, Muchirahondo demonstrated his skills across all strokes to equal the Max Polianski's 200m individual medley age record in the heat (2:08.47) before winning silver in the age final to lower the record by nearly half a second (2:07.99). In total, Muchirahondo won five medals (one gold and four silver) from seven age group finals to bring home in his baggage.
Sayer entered the championships in fine form, having achieved her first minimum qualifying standards for World Para Swimming at the 2024 Waikato Championships just before flying to Australia. Sayer carried that form across the ditch to achieve her first New Zealand Para open record in the women's 50m freestyle multi-class, where she edged out Paralympic gold medallist Nikita Howarth's best time by 0.02 seconds (35.61) to finish fourth overall in the final and with bronze in the 15-18 years age group. Sayer returned shortly after to win open bronze and 15-18 years age silver in the women's 100m breaststroke multi-class (1:52.65), setting a New Zealand age record at the 50m mark (51.73). Earlier in the day she broke the 16&U New Zealand Para age record in the heats (1:51.50) and took the age record at the 50m split too. Sayer also picked up bronze in the 15-18 years 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly events.
Isabelle Gibson (Club 37 - coached by Mitch Nairn) was another swimmer to win an open age medal this week, where she claimed silver in the women's 200m backstroke (2:14.21). This complemented her gold in the 18 years age group in the same event (2:15.41) and silver in her age group of the women's 100m backstroke to round out the year for the 18-year-old.
Monique Wieruszowski (North Shore - coached by Graham Hill) returned to major competition with an equal bronze in the women's open 100m breaststroke final (1:09.75). She backed this up with a gold medal in the 17 years age group of the same event, where she went faster the next day (1:09.49), and then completed the week with gold in the shorter women's 50m breaststroke (31.76).
Kevin Zhang (Roskill - coached by Josh Munro) performed strongly throughout the week to collect two gold medals in his 18 years age group. He won the men's 100m breaststroke age final (1:04.24) and the men's 200m individual medley age final (2:04.32). Zhang also won silver in the men's 100m freestyle age final (51.14) and bronze in the men's 400m individual medley age final (4:37.43) to showcase his versatility in the pool.
Amelia Bray (North Shore - coached by Sandra Burrow) was the other Kiwi to have won gold on the team. Bray secured the win in her 18 years age group final of the women's 100m freestyle (56.28).
Liam Curling (Coast - coached by John Gatfield) also brought home extra baggage with a bronze medal in the men's 50m freestyle 15 years age final (24.09).
James Haydon (Club 37 - coached by Mitch Nairn) also took home some metalware, picking up the bronze medal in the men's 15-18 years multi-class 100m breaststroke (1:16.79).
Charlotte Murphy (Aquagym - coached by Emma Smith) also broke the 16/U New Zealand record in the S6 400m freestyle, with a time of 8:23.36.
Swimming NZ's Disability & Para Swimming Participation Manager, Cameron Leslie, led the Paralympic pathway swimmers across the week-long competition and was impressed with the development.
"This week was all about learning for us. It's a challenging week of competition and for Para swimmers it means we need to be smarter and step up. We did that in many areas. This group has a lot of promise and we saw personal best times, better and smarter processes, growth in independence, and an appetite for listening and learning."
In total, the team achieved three open medals across eleven open finals, 20 age medals, one NZ open record and seven NZ age records the team. The team also collected multiple personal bests and faster swims from heat to finals, so there were plenty of positive signs for the development of the group.
The championships rounds out a busy 2024. Congratulations to swimmers, their coaches and support team for their performances across the ditch.
We have provided an overview of results from all finals the team raced in and records broken across the week of racing below.
Day Two (Sunday 15 December)
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 200m backstroke 15 years final (2:03.39) – gold (15 yrs NZR)
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 400m individual medley 15 years final (4:33.96) – silver
Orlando Hardie – men’s 100m freestyle 16 years final (52.19) - 4th
Isabelle Gibson – women’s 100m backstroke open final (1:02.26) - 6th
Leo English – men’s 200m freestyle 15 years final (1:57.81) - 8th
Day Three (Monday 16 December)
Isabelle Gibson – women’s 200m back 18 years final (2:15.41) – gold
Monique Wieruszowski – women’s 100m breaststroke open final (1:09.75) – equal bronze
Kevin Zhang – men’s 400m individual medley 18 years final (4:37.43) – bronze
Liam Curling – men’s 100m freestyle 15 years final (52.71) – 5th
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 200m butterfly 15 years final (2:06.30) – 5th
Amelia Bray – women’s 100m free open final (57.30) – 8th
Day Four (Tuesday 17 December)
Monique Wieruszowski – women’s 100m breaststroke 17 years final (1:09.49) – gold
Kevin Zhang – men’s 100m breaststroke 18 years final (1:04.24) – gold
Isabelle Gibson – women’s 200m backstroke open final (2:14.12) – silver
Liam Curling – men’s 50m freestyle 15 years final (24.09) – bronze
Rylee Sayer – women’s 100m breaststroke multi-class final (1:52.65) – bronze overall, silver in 15-18 years age (16/U NZR - 50m split)
James Haydon – men's 100m breaststroke multi-class final (1:16.79) – bronze in 15-18 years age
Rylee Sayer – women’s 50m freestyle multi-class final (35.61) – 4th overall, bronze in 15-18 years age (NZR)
Leo English – men’s 800m freestyle 15 years final (8:34.49) – 5th
Jack Bugler – men’s 100m breaststroke multi-class final (1:26.18) – 7th
Soeren Wells – men’s 800m freestyle 15 years final (8:42.98) – 8th
Day Five (Wednesday 18 December)
Kevin Zhang – men’s 200m individual medley 18 years final (2:04.32) – gold
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 100m backstroke 15 years final (58.20) – silver
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 400m freestyle 15 years final (4:00.25) – silver
Amelia Bray – women’s 100m butterfly 18 years final (1:01.35) – 4th
Day Six (Thursday 19 December)
Amelia Bray – women’s 100m freestyle 18 years final (56.28) – gold
Kevin Zhang – men’s 100m freestyle 18 years final (51.14) – silver
Rylee Sayer – women’s 50m butterfly multi-class final (40.34) – 5th in final (40.34), bronze in 15-18 years age
Jack Bugler – men’s 200m freestyle multi-class final (2:12.20) – 7th
Orlando Hardie – men’s 100m butterfly 16 years final (57.47) – 7th
Day Seven (Friday 20 December)
Monique Wieruszowski – women’s 50m breaststroke 17 years final (31.76) – gold
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 200m individual medley 15 years final (2:07.99) – silver – NZR age
Isabelle Gibson – women’s 100m backstroke 18 years final (1:02.42) – silver
Rylee Sayer – women’s 100m freestyle multi-class final (1:20.54) – 4th overall, bronze in 15-18 years age
Ariel Muchirahondo – men’s 100m butterfly 15 years final (58.63) – 9th
Records Broken by Team
Rylee Sayer – NZ record for SB7 in women’s 50m freestyle multi-class (35.61)
Ariel Muchirahondo – 15 years NZ age record in men’s 200m individual medley (2:08.47 in heat, 2:07.99 in final)
Ariel Muchirahondo – 15 years NZ age record in men’s 200m backstroke (2:03.39)
Charlotte Murphy – 16&U NZ age record for S6 in women’s 400m freestyle multi-class (8:23.36)
Rylee Sayer – 16&U NZ age record for SB7 in women’s 100m breaststroke multi-class (1:51.50) and 16&U NZ age record for the 50m split (52.20 in heat, 51.73 in final)
Selected Team
National Age Programme (Olympic Pathway)
Name | Club | Coach |
Amelia Bray | North Shore | Sandra Burrow |
Liam Curling | Coast | John Gatfield |
Leo English | Swim Rotorua | Aidan Withington-Edwards |
Isabelle Gibson | Club 37 | Mitch Nairn |
Orlando Hardie | Hamilton Aquatics & Waikato RPC | Mat Woofe |
Jacob Humphries | North Shore | Graham Hill |
Ariel Muchirahondo | Swim Rotorua | Aidan Withington-Edwards |
Igor Russanov | Coast | John Gatfield |
Soeren Wells | Wharenui | Carl Gordon |
Monique Wieruszowski | North Shore | Graham Hill |
Kevin Zhang | Roskill | Josh Munro |
Name | Club | Role |
Michelle Gillies | North Shore | Head Coach |
Aidan Withington-Edwards | Swim Rotorua | Coach |
Paralympic Pathway
Name | Club | Coach |
Brooke Anderson | Vikings | Todd Mason |
Jack Bugler | Blenheim | Shane Skehan |
James Haydon | Club 37 | Mitch Nairn |
Charlotte Murphy | Aquagym | Emma Smith |
Rylee Sayer | Matamata | Graeme Laing |
Rawiri Tristram-Brown | Otaki Titans | Jon Winter |
Name | Club | Role |
Cameron Leslie | Whangarei | Head Coach |
Hannah Bates | Selwyn | Coach |
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