By David
If anyone has noticed a pause in the posting of a Swimwatch story, it’s because I have been on a two week holiday. Where does a swim coach go on these occasions; Monte Carlo perhaps, The US Virgin Islands maybe? But no, in my case, I spent two weeks enjoying the service provided by the surgical ward of the North Shore Hospital.
What happened? Well the short version is I accidentally kicked a swimming pool ladder and cut my shin. For some reason it refused to heal and six months later a biopsy discovered something called squamous cell skin cancer. It needed to be cut out but because of its size also required a skin graft. Two weeks and two operations later – one a spinal anaesthetic, brilliant and the other a general, not so good and I’m as right as rain; no nastiness left and no spreading.
I am bored while I wait for the skin graft to accept its new home but the holiday has provided time to investigate New Zealand swimming’s starting position at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Remember this is the team that the Board of Swimming New Zealand; that’s Layton, McKee, Power, Hunt, Cotterill and Brown, the executive; that’s Renford, Villanueva, and Lyles and first and foremost Miskimmin decided was worth spending $2 million tax payer dollars in the last twelve months preparing for the Games. No cost has been spared in Miskimmin’s attempt to prove his version of sporting socialism works. The team has been coached by five international coaches, has made two trips to high altitude training camps in Spain and the United States, has spent weeks on the Mediterranean sunshine coast, has competed in Monte Carlo and Vichy and has rounded it all off with a week in the holiday resort island of Mallorca. The New Zealand build-up to these Games has read like a premium tour of European holiday resorts. When the new Swimming New Zealand decides to spend to make a point, to protect Miskimmin’s reputation, to save their Mazda SUVs, no dollar is spared, no cost is too great. All up the travel exercise alone must be costing us half a million dollars over and above the Millennium’s annual $2 million.
Their Whole of Sport Plan says the $2 million dollars per year and the $500K in travel will buy the county 7 medals. Do the pre-Games psych sheets agree with Miskimmin’s forecast? The table below might help illustrate where we stand going into the meet.
There are some things to remember about a table such as this. First, like all psych sheets, this one will mean little when the racing starts. It is a guide to recent form and that’s about all. Second the eight swimmers ranked in each event are taken from the world ranking lists published on the FINA website. Third, the table shows the swimmer’s world ranking, their best time, their name and their nationality. And fourth the ranking is based on three swimmers per country per event. New Zealand swimmers ranked in the top eight are shown in bold red print. One of the New Zealanders, who makes the Commonwealth cut, Gabrielle Fa’amausili, is not actually in Glasgow; highlighting perhaps our obsolete attitude to sprint swimming.
It should also be noted that this home-made psych sheet does not reflect the fact that swimmers from Great Britain are able to swim for Scotland, England and Wales. In some events, like men’s breaststroke, where the GBR is on fire just now the eligibility of up to nine British swimmers could seriously affect Snyder’s prospects.
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50 FREESTYLE WOMEN |
50 FREESTYLE MEN |
100 FREESTYLE WOMEN |
100 FREESTYLE MEN |
| 1 24.13 Campbell, Cate AUS
4 24.38 Halsall, Francesca GBR 6 24.58 Campbell, Bronte AUS 8 24.65 Vanderpool-Wallace,Arianna BAH 9 24.69 Schlanger, Melanie AUS 21 25.06 Smith, Amy GBR 22 25.07 Harkin, Sian GBR 32 25.29 Poon, Victoria CAN
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5 21.65 Sullivan, Eamon AUS
8 21.77 Magnussen, James AUS 9 21.86 Proud, Benjamin GBR 10 21.87 Abood, Matthew AUS 17 22.04 Schoeman, Roland RSA ” 25 22.22 Tandy, Brad RSA 28 22.27 Brown, Adam GBR 46 22.47 Schafers, Richard GBR
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1 52.68 Campbell, Cate AUS
3 53.02 Campbell, Bronte AUS 5 53.43 McKeon, Emma AUS 13 54.07 Halsall, Francesca GBR 19 54.38 Vanderpool-Wallace,Arianna BAH 22 54.48 Prinsloo, Karin RSA 26 54.67 Poon, Victoria CAN 32 54.83 Haughey, Siobhan Bernadette HKG |
1 47.59 Magnussen, James AUS
2 47.65 McEvoy, Cameron AUS 16 48.72 D’Orsogna, Tommaso AUS 50 49.35 Brown, Adam GBR 53 49.38 Le Clos, Chad RSA ” 56 49.39 Schoeman, Roland RSA 66 49.54 Jarvis, Calum GBR ” 66 49.54 Proud, Benjamin GBR
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200 FREESTYLE WOMEN |
200 FREESTYLE MEN |
400 FREESTYLE WOMEN |
400 FREESTYLE MEN |
| 2 1:55.68 McKeon, Emma AUS
10 1:56.59 O’Connor, Siobhan-Marie GBR 11 1:56.61 Barratt, Bronte AUS 15 1:57.17 Prinsloo, Karin RSA 18 1:57.57 MacLean, Brittany CAN 19 1:57.64 Elmslie, Brittany AUS 20 1:57.65 Carlin, Jazmin GBR 21 1:57.67 Boyle, Lauren NZL |
1 1:45.46 McEvoy, Cameron AUS
2 1:45.58 Fraser-Holmes, Thomas AUS 8 1:46.37 McKeon, David AUS 22 1:47.54 Guy, James GBR 24 1:47.60 Renwick, Robbie GBR 26 1:47.70 Brown, Devon RSA 28 1:47.77 Jarvis, Calum GBR 48 1:48.43 Le Clos, Chad RSA |
3 4:04.03 Carlin, Jazmin GBR
4 4:04.56 Barratt, Bronte AUS 8 4:05.01 Ashwood, Jessica AUS 10 4:06.02 Fairweather, Remy AUS 12 4:06.08 Boyle, Lauren NZL 14 4:06.20 MacLean, Brittany CAN 32 4:08.98 Willmott, Aimee GBR 34 4:09.38 McClatchey, Caitlin GBR
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1 3:43.72 McKeon, David AUS
4 3:44.60 Horton, Mack AUS 6 3:45.15 Guy, James GBR 7 3:47.30 Cochrane, Ryan CAN 8 3:47.31 Grainger, Nicholas GBR 9 3:47.42 Harrison, Jordan AUS 11 3:47.90 Stanley, Matthew NZL 15 3:48.34 Renwick, Robbie GBR
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800 FREESTYLE WOMEN |
1500 FREESTYLE MEN |
50 BACK WOMEN |
50 BACK MEN |
| 2 8:18.36 Carlin, Jazmin GBR
3 8:19.76 Ashwood, Jessica AUS 5 8:24.91 MacLean, Brittany CAN 12 8:27.48 Boyle, Lauren NZL 14 8:29.02 Goldman, Katie AUS 16 8:29.40 Bowles, Alanna AUS 21 8:32.37 Baumann, Tabitha CAN 22 8:32.99 Faulkner, Eleanor GBR
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2 14:51.55 Horton, Mack AUS
5 14:59.86 Fogg, Daniel GBR 9 15:01.72 Cochrane, Ryan CAN 21 15:09.67 Levings, Matthew AUS 23 15:10.02 Brown, Devon RSA 25 15:10.60 Grainger, Nicholas GBR 27 15:12.70 Lelliott, Jay GBR 33 15:15.35 Brothers, William CAN
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3 27.80 Davies, Georgia GBR
4 27.90 Quigley, Lauren GBR 5 27.95 Seebohm, Emily AUS 8 28.04 Halsall, Francesca GBR 14 28.25 Wilson, Madison AUS 16 28.31 Fa’amausili, Gabrielle NZL 20 28.49 Russell, Sinead CAN
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7 24.54 Treffers, Benjamin AUS
17 25.09 Walker-Hebborn, Christopher GBR 18 25.10 Hurley, Bobby AUS 24 25.28 Arnamnart, Daniel AUS 25 25.30 Zandberg,Gerhard RSA 26 25.34 Larkin, Mitchell AUS 30 25.37 Beaver, Joshua AUS 31 25.38 Tancock, Liam GBR
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100 BACK WOMEN |
100 BACK MEN |
200 BACK WOMEN |
200 BACK MEN |
| 2 58.92 Seebohm, Emily AUS
6 59.78 Davies, Georgia GBR 9 59.83 Hocking, Belinda AUS 10 59.90 Nay, Meagen AUS 12 1:00.00 Russell, Sinead CAN 13 1:00.01 Quigley, Lauren GBR 13 1:00.01 Simmonds, Elizabeth GBR 16 1:00.23 Snodgrass, Brooklynn CAN
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7 53.46 Larkin, Mitchell AUS
8 53.55 Treffers, Benjamin AUS 10 53.67 Delaney, Ashley AUS 13 53.82 Walker-Hebborn,Christopher GBR 14 53.84 Beaver, Joshua AUS 32 54.47 Main, Corey NZL 33 54.51 Tancock, Liam GBR 39 54.71 Wood, Russell CAN
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1 2:06.40 Hocking, Belinda AUS
4 2:08.19 Nay, Meagen AUS 5 2:08.28 Seebohm, Emily AUS 7 2:08.91 Simmonds, Elizabeth GBR 11 2:09.40 Cantin, Genevieve CAN 13 2:09.58 Russell, Sinead CAN 17 2:09.79 Quigley, Lauren GBR 18 2:10.11 Caldwell, Hilary CAN |
5 1:55.26 Larkin, Mitchell AUS
7 1:56.35 Lawson, Matson AUS 9 1:56.83 Beaver, Joshua AUS 22 1:57.93 Le Clos, Chad RSA 32 1:58.87 McNally, Craig GBR 34 1:58.88 Boldison, Charlie GBR 42 1:59.43 Patching, Joe GBR 43 1:59.50 Wood, Russell CAN
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50 BREAST WOMEN |
50 BREAST MEN |
100 BREAST WOMEN |
100 BREAST MEN |
| 5 30.89 Pickett, Leiston AUS
7 30.98 Taylor, Sophie GBR 12 31.18 HUNTER, SALLY AUS 16 31.27 Tonks, Lorna AUS 23 31.38 Scott, Corrie GBR 25 31.43 Vasey, Sarah GBR 29 31.52 Van Beilen, Tera CAN 42 31.70 Wallace, Tessa AUS
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1 26.74 Sprenger, Christian AUS
2 27.05 Van Der Burgh, Cameron RSA 4 27.19 Peaty, Adam GBR 7 27.28 Murdoch, Ross GBR 10 27.38 Snyders, Glenn NZL 17 27.64 Weatheritt, Andrew GBR 25 27.73 Tully, Mark GBR 35 27.82 Funk, Richard CAN
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7 1:07.08 Taylor, Sophie GBR
9 1:07.15 Atkinson, Alia JAM 12 1:07.26 Tonks, Lorna AUS 13 1:07.56 Pickett, Leiston AUS 16 1:07.73 Hunter, Sally AUS 32 1:08.39 Van Beilen, Tera CAN 37 1:08.59 Nicholas, Tara-Lynn RSA 37 1:08.59 Pasloski, Bronwyn CAN
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2 58.87 Sprenger, Christian AUS
3 59.25 Peaty, Adam GBR 4 59.50 Van Der Burgh, Cameron RSA 5 59.56 Murdoch, Ross GBR 13 1:00.39 Snyders, Glenn NZL 19 1:00.53 Jamieson, Michael GBR 51 1:01.38 Packard, Jake AUS 77 1:01.73 Sykes, Buster AUS
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200 BREAST WOMEN |
200 BREAST MEN |
50 FLY WOMEN |
50 FLY MEN |
| 4 2:22.10 McKeown, Taylor AUS
9 2:24.46 Taylor, Sophie GBR 9 2:24.46 Renshaw, Molly GBR 13 2:24.91 Hunter, Sally AUS 16 2:25.29 Wallace, Tessa AUS 17 2:25.52 Atkinson, Alia JAM 27 2:26.59 Smith, Kierra CAN 28 2:26.66 Van Beilen, Tera CAN
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2 2:07.79 Jamieson, Michael GBR
5 2:08.63 Sprenger, Christian AUS 6 2:09.15 Murdoch, Ross GBR 7 2:09.40 Peaty, Adam GBR 21 2:11.07 Snyders, Glenn NZL 43 2:12.26 Tranter, Daniel AUS 58 2:12.95 Sykes, Buster AUS 59 2:12.97 Funk, Richard CAN
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4 25.83 Halsall, Francesca GBR
6 26.00 Vanderpool-Wallace, Arianna BAH 8 26.14 Elmslie, Brittany AUS 10 26.20 D’ Cruz Guehrer, Marieke AUS 16 26.33 Thomas, Noemie CAN 17 26.35 Coutts, Alicia AUS 22 26.41 Smith, Amy GBR 23 26.43 Mainville, Sandrine CAN
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3 23.07 Schoeman, Roland RSA
11 23.42 Proud, Benjamin GBR 20 23.82 Romeo, Nathaniel AUS 26 23.86 Le Clos, Chad RSA 30 23.90 James, Antony GBR 31 23.91 McEvoy, Cameron AUS 34 23.95 Hadler, Jayden AUS 36 23.96 Brown, Adam GBR
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100 FLY WOMEN |
100 FLY MEN |
200 FLY WOMEN |
200 FLY MEN |
| 3 57.27 Savard, Katerine CAN
5 57.43 Groves, Madeline AUS 7 57.60 Coutts, Alicia AUS 9 57.98 Gandy, Ellen AUS 12 58.21 Halsall, Francesca GBR 16 58.34 O’Connor, Siobhan-Marie GBR 17 58.40 Kelly, Rachael GBR 21 58.54 Thomas, Noemie CAN
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17 52.16 Wright, Chris AUS
18 52.21 D’Orsogna, Tommaso AUS 21 52.33 Hadler, Jayden AUS 28 52.55 Guy, James GBR 31 52.57 Barrett, Adam GBR 38 52.75 Laxton, Thomas GBR 40 52.79 Roebuck, Joe GBR 50 52.95 Schooling, Joseph SIN
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4 2:06.81 Groves, Madeline AUS
5 2:07.06 Gandy, Ellen AUS 8 2:07.61 Savard, Katerine CAN 11 2:07.97 Willmott, Aimee GBR 14 2:08.84 Lacroix, Audrey CAN 15 2:08.91 Coutts, Alicia AUS 19 2:09.52 Lowe, Jemma GBR 25 2:10.12 Thomas, Alys Margaret GBR |
1 1:54.56 Le Clos, Chad RSA
8 1:56.23 Irvine, Grant AUS 10 1:56.41 Pratt, Mitchell AUS 19 1:56.92 Bosch, Dylan RSA 23 1:57.20 Pavoni, Roberto GBR 24 1:57.28 Roebuck, Joe GBR 27 1:57.48 Tranter, Daniel AUS 40 1:57.96 Brodie, Cameron GBR
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200 IM WOMEN |
200 IM MEN |
400 IM WOMEN |
400 IM MEN |
| 1 2:08.89 Coutts, Alicia AUS
2 2:09.63 O’Connor, Siobhan-Marie 6 2:10.60 Willmott, Aimee GBR 10 2:11.25 Seebohm, Emily AUS 12 2:11.54 Allen, Sophie GBR 15 2:11.99 Miley, Hannah GBR 19 2:12.26 Seltenreich-Hodgson, Erika CAN 28 2:13.08 Ngawati, Kotuku AUS
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3 1:57.66 Tranter, Daniel AUS
5 1:57.88 Fraser-Holmes, Thomas AUS 6 1:57.94 Le Clos, Chad RSA 12 1:59.08 Pavoni, Roberto GBR 13 1:59.23 Bosch, Dylan RSA 15 1:59.29 Larkin, Mitchell AUS 23 1:59.84 White, Evan CAN 28 1:59.95 Wallace, Dan GBR
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3 4:33.25 Miley, Hannah GBR
5 4:33.64 Willmott, Aimee GBR 15 4:39.69 McMaster, Keryn AUS 17 4:40.07 Seltenreich-Hodgson, Erika CAN 20 4:41.11 Gandy, Ellen AUS 30 4:42.42 Lowe, Danielle GBR 31 4:42.84 Overholt, Emily CAN 48 4:45.33 Rudin, Rosie GBR
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4 4:10.68 Fraser-Holmes, Thomas AUS
7 4:12.24 Pavoni, Roberto GBR 13 4:14.81 Le Clos, Chad RSA 17 4:15.76 Smith, Lewis GBR 18 4:15.80 Page, Alec CAN 19 4:15.86 Reilly, Luke CAN 21 4:16.40 Wallace, Dan GBR 25 4:17.39 Mahoney, Travis AUS
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So what does the table tell us?
Well if results go according to the psych sheets New Zealand will not win a single individual medal of any colour at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. New Zealand’s best ranked swimmer is Lauren Boyle, ranked 4th in the 800 meters. Her best 2014 time is nine seconds behind the leading time swum by Jazmin Carlin from the UK.
Four swimmers are ranked in the top eight in eight events. Medals will depend on Boyle, Snyders, Stanley or Main beating opposition who right now have faster times than them.
With all the money Miskimmin has poured into swimming recently 24 (75%) individual Commonwealth Games swimming events will take place without a New Zealand swimmer ranked in the top 8. That is terrible. Miskimmin’s policy does not work.
The psych sheets do not make good reading. Certainly the pre-race rankings do not justify the nation’s financial investment. But perhaps the team will perform above their pre-race status. Because that is what a good result is going to require.
With these psych sheets, winning seven medals is a big ask. If the team does not perform above their pre-race status, those responsible, that’s the Board of Swimming New Zealand; Layton, McKee, Power, Hunt, Cotterill and Brown, the executive; that’s Renford, Villanueva, and Lyles and first and foremost that’s Miskimmin will merit surgical intervention. I can recommend just the place.
