Clareburt Closes Championships in Style
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Day Five Wrap - 2026 NZ Swimming Championships
Kiwi swim star Lewis Clareburt showed his class to highlight the final night of the New Zealand Swimming Championships at the Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland.
Clareburt, swimming for United Swimming Club although based in Australia for his training, produced a quality performance to claim the 400m individual medley – the event in which he won the Commonwealth Games title four years ago and is expected to defend that title in Glasgow later this year.
Clareburt clocked an impressive 4:09.47, just a second outside his national record and well under the qualifying times for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.
He was pushed by exciting 17-year-old Ariel Muchirahondo from Swim Rotorua, who was with the kiwi star after the backstroke leg. He finished second in 4:20.28, well inside the qualifying time for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships. Declan Proudfoot (Nga Tai Tuatea a Taraika) took bronze.
“It was pretty cool to dip under that 4:10. I haven’t been that fast in a long time,” said Clareburt. “That first 200m I was starting to get nervous with Ariel right behind me. That’s what it is all about – youngsters like that absolutely going for it in that first 200 and put a bit of pressure on myself.
Clareburt was delighted with how the race went.
“My breaststroke has come a long way. Overall, the race felt good and controlled… nothing but good signs looking forward to the middle of the year. Now I go back to Australia and start putting in that hard work again.”
Muchirahondo took gold in the 17-18 years age group, with Nemanja Markovic (North Shore) and Ethan Stocks (Roskill) joining him on the podium.
Fellow New Zealand super-star, Erika Fairweather (North Shore) won her fourth individual national title of the week, with the 22-year-old claiming the women’s 800m freestyle honours in 8:26:12 to clear the Pan Pacific Championships standard.
Olympian Eve Thomas (Coast) also went under the Pan Pacs qualifying mark for second place, with fellow Olympian Caitlin Deans (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) taking bronze.
Alyssa Tapper (St Peters) was more than 30 seconds ahead of her closest age group rival to take gold in the 17-18 years division, while twins Kezia and Alexis Buissinne (North Shore) took silver and bronze, respectively. Earlier in the day, Paralympian Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui) broke her own S10 national record in 10:36.34.
North Shore sprinter Chelsey Edwards impressed with a superb swim to win the women’s 50m freestyle in 25.08, to hold off Australian Maya Zunker and Zoe Pedersen (Coast). Rae Kwan (United) took bronze.
“That was a great race and a big week. It was good to have a good competition and I'm pleased with my swim and to swim 25 again. I would have liked to have snuck in with a 24 but overall, I am happy,” said Edwards.
Zunker took visitor gold in the 17-18 years age group, joined on the top step of the podium by Milan Glintmeyer (Coast). Abigail Samuels took silver, with Australian visitor Tribeca Liu taking visitor bronze and Millie Bell (North Canterbury) rounding out the podium for the Kiwis.
Hamilton Aquatics swimmer Gina McCarthy just put her head down and pushed hard on the way to winning the 200m individual medley ahead of Zyleika Pratt-Smith (Coast) and Bridie Quayle (Wharenui) in a closely fought battle.
McCarthy was pleased with how her race panned out.
“I am really happy with that swim. I had to back up tonight. I didn’t have much of a race plan – just get in and do my best and I think I was able to do that.”
Quayle topped the podium in the 17-18 years age group, with Hamilton Aquatics' Ariella Riley taking silver and North Shore's Olivia Bates earning bronze.
In the women’s multi-class 200m individual medley, Whakatane’s Chloe Gladwin lowered the S19 national record with her time of 2:37.98 to take gold. Paralympian Gaby Smith went under the Para Pan Pacific qualifying mark to take silver, while Wharenui’s Charlotte Rozen took bronze in a new S18 national record.
Japan’s Kotarou Ogiwara took visitor gold in the men’s version of the event, with Aquablack Asher Smith-Franklin (Coast) taking gold for the Kiwis. Australian Beau Matthews took visitor silver, while David Beck (United) and Jonty Howland (Dannevirke) rounded out the podium.
It was an all United Swimming Club podium in the men’s 50m butterfly, with Cameron Gray taking out the national title in 23.91 ahead of Jack Hendy and Carter Swift.
In the 17-18 years age group, Dunedin's Neo Salomonsson (Kiwi & Swim Dunedin) won gold, just outside the Junior Pan Pacific qualifying mark, with Kayne Howat (SwimZone Racing) and Orlando Hardie joining him on the podium.
14-year-old Grayson Coulter also impressed, equalling his national age record with his time of 25.71
The much anticipated men’s multi-class 50m freestyle was another highlight of the night, with renowned Japanese Para swimmer Takayuki Suzuki holding off fellow Para swimming legend Cameron Leslie in the final. Suzuki took visitor gold, with Leslie taking gold for the Kiwis. United’s James Haydon and David Beck took silver and bronze, respectively. Jack McMillan broke the S18 national record in 34.55, for the second time over the course of the day.
Australian Kirralee Hayes took visitor gold in the women’s multi-class 50m freestyle, with Hamilton Aquatics Para swimmer Rylee Sayer taking gold for the Kiwis in a Para Pan Pacs qualifying time. Sayer’s clubmate Quinn Pike took silver, while Paralympian Gaby Smith took bronze in her second swim of the night.
Coast Swim Club’s Hara Hughes took out the honours in the men’s 200m breaststroke, winning in 2:16.24. Roskill’s Kevin Zhang took silver and North Shore’s Blair Helms bronze.
Rylind Wheeler (North Canterbury) won gold in the 17-18 years division, while record-breaking Daniel Smith (Pukekohe) crushed his SB19 New Zealand record en route to silver with a time of 2:28.82. Elwin Bao (North Shore) rounded out the podium.
The women’s 200m breaststroke saw Brearna Crawford (Waitakere) make it three-for-three across the breaststroke events, with Zyleika Pratt-Smith (Coast) taking silver and 13-year-old April Lin earning bronze in a new national age group record of 2:36.70.
North Shore's Grace Jeromson took gold in the 17-18 years age group, with Alex McIntosh (United) and Paige Franklin (Central Hawke's Bay) earning silver and bronze, respectively.
The 200m breaststroke heats saw two multi-class national records fall, with North Canterbury's Genevieve Watson-Christey lower her own SB19 national record with a time of 4:02.74 and Wharenui's Charlotte Rozen breaking the SB18 mark with her time of 4:54.88.
Rounding out the individual events, Olympian Kane Follows (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) won the national title in the men’s 100m backstroke, finishing ahead of Jasper Cornish (Coast). 17-year-old Lucas Bell took bronze in a Junior Pan Pacific qualifying mark.
Bell won the 17-18 years title, while Liz van Welie's Mitch Ellis earned silver and Alfie Weatherston Harvey (Kiwi & Swim Dunedin) bronze.
Competition Awards
Harold Pettit Trophy
Awarded to an individual with the most outstanding performance of the championships.
Winner: Erika Fairweather for her record-breaking performance in the 200m freestyle
Top Age Club Trophy
Awarded to the club who has scored the most age group points across the 2026 New Zealand Swimming Championships.
Winner: North Shore, with 691 points
Top Multi-Class Club Trophy
Awarded to the club who has scored the most multi-class points across the 2026 New Zealand Swimming Championships.
Winner: Wharenui, with 355 points
Top Open Club Trophy
Awarded to the club who has scored the most points across the 2026 New Zealand Swimming Championships.
Winner: Coast, with 1078 points.
Competition Details
Dates: 13 - 17 May
Location: Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre, Auckland
Heats Start: 8.55am (livestream), 9am (racing)
Finals Start: 5.50pm (livestream), 6pm (racing)
We also welcomed back the Legends Relay on Saturday night, where our Kiwi favourites return to the pool and raise money for the NZ Swimming Trust who help support of next wave of swimmers.
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