Queenstown Swimming Club's annual Colin Walker Memorial Meet was held from 6-7 September, attracting more than 130 athletes from across Otago and Southland. It was a great meet, with lots of young swimmers in attendance and building their confidence in racing. One Otago Record was broken over the course of the weekend, with a ton of personal best times taken down as well. Congratulations to all those who participated - we hope you had fun!

It was fantastic to have our Otago Aquablacks from the Swim Dunedin program travel to Queenstown for competition. Caitlin Deans and Kane Follows, both members of the Neptune Swim Club, competed in their less-favoured events, providing an exciting spectacle for all the young athletes present. We wish Caitlin the best of luck as she continues her preparation for the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series in October.

It was a pleasure working alongside Queenstown Swimming Club to deliver this event, and we would like to extend a big thank you to all those that made this competition possible - from Chris Thompson and all those at Queenstown Swimming Club that put in the hard work behind the scenes, to our incredible cohort of technical officials, to all those that put their hand up to time keep or volunteer in some other way, and to the sponsors that made the meet possible. Thank you all!

Hana Carnie (Wanaka) broke her own Otago 13 Years Age Group Record on Saturday, showcasing her impressive form as she prepares for the NZ Short Course Championships. She recorded a new personal best in the 50m Backstroke with a time of 30.24. Congratulations, Hana!

Queenstown Swimming Club won the top club shield, with Wanaka Swim Club coming in second place. The Onsen Hot Pools Skins was a tight contest across both genders and age groups. Sam Morris (Wanaka) and Grace Wilkinson (Queenstown) won the 12 & under. Taka Sugiyama (Kiwi) and Hana Carnie (Wanaka) took out the 13 & over.

• Click here to view the full results from the competition

Outside the pool, Kazu Watanabe (Wanaka) successfully passed his IOT assessment. Your contribution to our swimming community will greatly help ensure that our future competitions meet Swimming NZ approval standards. Congratulations Kazu!

Technical officials are a crucial element of our sport, and we are always seeking more volunteers to join us. If you are interested in becoming a technical official, check out our web page or email us at admin@swimotago.org for more information to start your journey.

Congratulations to everyone who took part. We hope you enjoyed the event and look forward to seeing you poolside again soon!

Looking for your next racing opportunity? South Otago Sharks are hosting the inaugural Sharks Short Course on Sunday, 28 September, with entries closing on Thursday, 18 September at 11:59PM. Get your entries in now!

Article added: Monday 08 September 2025