The 2024 Wanaka Interclub Meet was held from 11-12 May at the Wanaka Recreation Centre, attracting more than 100 athletes from Otago, and beyond. It was a fantastic two days of short course racing, with a number of debutant swimmers in attendance, as well as seasoned participants trying out new events. 

Making the most of racing at her local pool, Hana Carnie (Wanaka) broke two Otago Records - in the Female 12 Years 50m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke events. Carnie had a particularly impressive swim in the 200m event on day one, slashing more than two seconds off her own previous record to reset the Otago Record with a time of 2:23.65. She then backed it up with a strong time of 31.81 over the sprint distance to go sub-32 seconds for the first time. Great work, Hana!

Club mate Sam Morris (Wanaka) broke the Otago Record in the Male 9 Years & Under 50m Backstroke. With a time of 38.65, Morris took over three tenths of a second off the previous Otago Record which was set by Liam Rees (Alexandra) in 2017. Congratulations, Sam!

Wanaka Swimming Club convincingly took out the Club Points trophy, while Caleb Ludlow (Alexandra) won the Male Top FINA Points trophy and Hana Carnie (Wanaka) won the Female Top FINA Points trophy. 

Click here to view the full results from this competition

Outside of the water, Rosie Olsen-Vetland (South Otago Sharks) passed her assessment to become an accredited Inspector of Turns (IOT). Congratulations, Rosie! Thank you for all you do on pool deck to support our athletes and ensure that our competitions meet Swimming NZ Designated Approval Status.

Technical officials are a crucial element of our sport, and we are always looking for more volunteers to join us. If you are interested in becoming a technical official, flick us an email at admin@swimotago.org and we can get you started on your journey

It was great to work alongside Wanaka Swimming Club in organising and delivering this competition. Swimming Otago would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who contributed to making this event possible. From the organising committee who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, to our amazing group of technical officials, and all the volunteers who served as timekeepers or in other capacities, plus the generous sponsors who made the meet possible. Thank you all for your invaluable contributions - meets like this are not possible without your help!

Congratulations to all who took part in this competition. We hope you enjoyed it and look forward to seeing you poolside again soon!

Looking for your next racing opportunity? Don't miss out on Neptune King's Birthday Meet from 1-2 June! Entries close on Thursday 23 November at 11:59PM. Get your entries in now!

Article added: Monday 13 May 2024