Deans Claims Silver & Clareburt Breaks NZ Records in Baku
Competition Wrap – 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Stop One
Two New Zealand swimmers competed at the opening stop of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Baku over the weekend, with the series also serving as a qualifying opportunity for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), to be held in Beijing from 1-6 December.
Caitlin Deans (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) claimed a silver medal in the women's 800m freestyle, while Lewis Clareburt (United & Nunawading) rewrote the national record books twice, with both swimmers earning qualifying marks for December's short course world championships.
Deans had a strong meet over the distance freestyle events, capped by silver in the 800m, where she finished in 8:17.51, comfortably under the qualifying mark for Beijing. She also finished fourth in the 400m freestyle (4:01.30), earning another qualifying mark and narrowly missing the podium, and eighth in the 200m freestyle (1:56.03).
The Dunedin swimmer is no stranger to the World Cup podium, having earned four bronze medals across last year's series alone.
Clareburt had a busy programme over the three days of racing, contesting five events and racing in the final of every event he entered.
In the 200m individual medley, Clareburt clocked 1:53.63 in the final, resetting Bradlee Ashby's New Zealand record from 2018 and earning a fifth-place finish. He backed that up in the 400m individual medley with another national record, 4:03.02, again placing fifth. Both events saw him clear the qualifying mark for Beijing.
He was also in the mix across the other strokes, taking fourth place in the 200m butterfly, sixth place in the 400m freestyle and seventh place in the 200m freestyle.
With a medal and two national records from the first stop, both swimmers head into the remainder of the World Cup series with momentum. Stop two of the World Cup series will see our New Zealand swimmers race in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 8–10 October.
Results by Swimmer
Lewis Clareburt (United / Nunawading) – Aquablack #257
Stop One – Baku
200m butterfly – 4th place (final: 1:54.70; heat: 1:55.94)
200m freestyle – 7th place (final: 1:44.45; heat: 1:44.64)
400m freestyle – 6th place (final: 3:42.38)
200m individual medley – 5th place (final 1:53.63 – NZ record; heat: 1:56.03)
400m individual medley – 5th place (final: 4:03.02 – NZ record)
Caitlin Deans (Neptune / Swim Dunedin) – Aquablack #276
Stop One – Baku
200m freestyle – 8th place (final: 1:56.03; heat: 1:56.32)
400m freestyle – 4th place (final: 4:01.30)
800m freestyle – silver medal (result: 8:17.51)
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