By David

The Auckland Open Championships were held this weekend. For our West Auckland Aquatics team it was our third meet this season and therefore was most certainly still in the category of training for more important things to come. Desperately interesting as it might be to me, I am sure you would find a blow by blow account of how our swimmers performed pretty dull fare. And so instead I will recount some of the events that pleased or surprised.

First and most important – I met Melissa Ingram for the first time. The CEO of Auckland Swimming, Brian Palmer, does something no other swimming official in the world has dared. He invites me to present medals at his championships. On this occasion the events he chose for me were the men’s and women’s 200 backstroke. Winner of the women’s event was Melissa Ingram. Regular readers of Swimwatch will know that I am a paid up member of the Melissa Gee Whiz Club. I saw her swim first at the World Cups in Moscow, Stockholm and Berlin. I even had a drink in a bar with her in Berlin but we have never spoken. But this weekend all that changed and I am delighted.

Second Rhi took another step on her personal swimming journey. I’m prepared to bet any money you like that twelve months ago most swimming observers looked at a 115 kilogram Rhi Jeffrey and said she would never swim well again. At the New South Wales Championships a year ago she tried to swim; couldn’t break 30 seconds for 50 meters freestyle, and after the race was accosted by an Australian official concerned about her health. Well twelve months later, this weekend, an 89 kilogram Rhi Jeffrey swam 55.76 for 100 meters freestyle and silenced those critics. The time ranks her 32 in the world this year – not a fake 32 based on two per country as practised by Swimming New Zealand but a real world ranking. Sure she has a long way to go. But very few could have achieved what she has done already. Even fewer will achieve what she will do in the next six months. It will be fun to watch.

Third Lauren Boyle got disqualified for a false start in the 400 freestyle. This was not news because of the false start. That sort of thing happens all the time. I actually think swimming officials need to distinguish between some movement on the blocks, which as I understand the rules is legal, and false starting, which is not allowed. Anyway, whatever happened in Lauren’s case, she was dismissed from the class. But that was not the news. The subsequent behaviour of her coach, Mark Regan, was what made the headlines. I happened to be at the control room when he angrily refused to sign the disqualification slip and demanded Lauren’s reinstatement. Two things about his performance caused me concern. First there is never any need to include a string of Australian profanities in a debate over the merits of a disqualification. That is just bad manners. If Regan is going to represent this country then he had better clean up his verbal act. Second I heard him use the expression that the Auckland officials “could not disqualify New Zealand’s best swimmer.” Isn’t that just typical of the arrogance that infects the Millennium swimming program? The laws of the sport do not apply to them. Well no one is above the rule of law. Hopefully the unfortunate disqualification of Lauren Boyle will have taught her coach that lesson. Hopefully it will have given Mark Regan and his Millennium program some much needed humility. Hopefully – but I do not think so.

Fourth, private enterprise is taking over. I was pleased Rhi convincingly won the 100 meters freestyle. For years I have argued, in Swimwatch, that a private enterprise, capitalist system of elite sport produces better swimmers than Jan Cameron’s state run dictatorship. Rhi took on the state’s best swimmers this weekend and won. That lesson is good for every swimmer in the country. They can stay in their home programs. They can swim in their local pools. To be a champion they do not need to pack their bags and shift to Auckland. Jan Cameron was wrong. The error of the past ten years was cruelly exposed by a talented American. Those administrators charged with reforming Swimming New Zealand would do well to look at the result of this weekend’s women’s 100 meters freestyle and ask why did their state run program loose again?

Fifth – the saga of Rhi’s goofy cap. Rhi is her own woman. That is one of her cardinal strengths. One of the things she enjoys just now is wearing a goofy swim cap. Her current favourite is pictured below. She swam all her races this weekend wearing the interesting pink number. Auckland’s technical officials were concerned. Did the cap’s two small fins violate the FINA rule that prohibits any appendage that provides additional endurance, speed or buoyancy? Meetings were held long into the night. I was told the Secretary General of world swimming was woken at two in the morning. (That’s a joke, by the way.) Were pink, shark caps included on the FINA list of approved swimwear? By day four of the meet a decision had been reached. Rhi’s cap could stay. New Zealand’s leading technical officials had examined the rules; had studied the photographic evidence and had gathered in force to watch Rhi perform and the Zogg cap was approved. The swimming world sighed in collective relief. You may think I am joking. But no, this actually happened. I was there.

Sixth – Lara is on her way to the New Zealand Olympic Trials. You may remember the story of Lara. She’s the swimmer who was kicked out of her Central Hawkes Bay club’s training program because she was too slow. Aiden, the Waipukarau coach, said she would have to swim in the “oldies” aquafit lane. The competition training lanes, he said, were not for the likes of Lara. Well all that was four months ago. Since then Lara has shifted to Auckland and has joined West Auckland Aquatics. Some Central Hawkes Bay Club parent, called Mrs. Reidy, warned her of the perils of that decision. This weekend Lara swam the 50 meters freestyle, first swimming 28.71 and then lowering her time once more to 28.65 and qualifying for the New Zealand Olympic Trials. I am delighted. I just love those stories where someone is written off by those who know nothing and with determination, talent and shear bloody minded hard work proves their critics wrong. The title of this story is dedicated to Lara’s journey. As Mohammed Ali once said, Lara, “You done splendid.”