Day 5 Wrap of the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha
The New Zealand 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay team is thrilled after breaking two New Zealand records on its way to placing fifth at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
Erika Fairweather (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) got the team off to a flying start in the final, leading the field at the first change. She was followed by Laticia Transom (Ice Breaker Aquatics) and Eve Thomas (Coast) with the team fourth at the final change. Caitlin Deans (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) then brought it home to see the team finish fifth in a New Zealand Record time of 7:53.02s.
All four swimmers in the final produced splits under 2 minutes in an impressive display that sees New Zealand qualify a Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay slot at the 2024 paris Olympics, with the team ranked 8th across combined results from Fukuoka and Doha World Aquatics Championships in the past 12 months.
Deans said the team was thrilled with the result.
“We were all absolutely stoked with that swim, to be competitive in a world champs final is something we’ve all been working towards so to experience that tonight was really special,” said Deans.
“Nothing compares to the enjoyment a relay swim brings. Being in the call room all together is always such a fun time and then to walk out on pool deck together and put it all out there for each other is incomparable.”
The team broke the New Zealand Record in their heat with a time of 7:54.97s, where Summer Osborne (North Shore) swam instead of Deans. The team qualified second fastest for the final after winning their heat by taking the lead from the outset.
Swimming New Zealand's Olympic Pathway Lead, Gary Francis, says it’s a great result on the world stage.
“To break the New Zealand record in qualification and then again in the final is huge and you really couldn’t ask anything more of these athletes.”
Lewis Clareburt (Club 37) was also in the pool, racing the Men’s 200m Individual Medley final.
Clareburt sat in fourth for the first half of the race through the butterfly and backstroke legs, before he was outpaced in the final 50m to place seventh in 1:58.66s.
He will compete in his favoured Men's 400m Individual Medley on the final day of competition.
Day six heats see Cameron Gray (Coast) take on the Men's 100m Butterfly and Men's 50m Freestyle. At the end of the heats session, Erika Fairweather and Eve Thomas will return to the pool for the Women's 800m Freestyle. The heats start from 7.30pm NZDT and finals from 5am NZDT the following morning.
Stay up-to-date with all of the action on our Swimming NZ social media throughout the championships.
You can watch the livestream through the World Aquatics Recast platform by purchasing access from the link below.
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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