The New Zealand Olympic Committee have announced a team of nine swimmers to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris from 26 July, including three Otago athletes. A huge congratulations to Erika Fairweather, Kane Follows, and Caitlin Deans (all of Neptune Swim Club) on their selection to the Games! 

The Neptune trio, who train within the Swim Dunedin programme, will be joined by coach Lars Humer at the Games in Paris. It marks Humer's second Olympic campaign for New Zealand, after being head coach at the Tokyo Games. Congratulations to Lars -  a well deserved recognition! 

Erika Fairweather will be headed to her second Olympic Games, after competing in Tokyo in 2021 as a seventeen year old where she became a finalist in the 400m Freestyle. Since then, Fairweather has become the fifth fastest woman in history in the event, is the reigning world champion, and has amassed a plethora of high quality race experience competing at the Commonwealth Games, multiple World Championships, and the World Cup. Erika will contest the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 4x200m Freestyle events.

Kane Follows will make his Aquablack debut at the Olympic Games, with the world's biggest stage marking Kane's first selection to a major international team. It has been a long journey for Follows, who moved to Otago at the beginning of 2023, missing a number of pinnacle teams on his pathway to Paris. However, it was all worth it in the end, as Follows punched his ticket to Paris with a New Zealand Record breaking swim in the 200m Backstroke. 

Caitlin Deans will be headed to her first Olympic Games, after a stellar performance in the 200m Freestyle at the New Zealand Championships earned her a spot on the coveted 4x200m Freestyle relay. Having competed at all three World Championships plus a World Short Course Championships since the previous Olympic Games, Deans has gained a wealth of experience on the international stage. Caitlin has been a reliable component of the 4x200m Freestyle relay, competing in two World Championship finals, a World Short Course Championship final, and was part of the New Zealand long and short course national record breaking teams in the 4x200m relay event.

Article added: Tuesday 30 April 2024