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Fairweather Seventh in 800m Freestyle

Day Seven Wrap of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships – Swimming


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Erika Fairweather (North Shore) was once again the headline performance on the penultimate day of competition at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Finn Harland (Coast) also secured himself a spot in his first international semi-final as two New Zealand swimmers achieved personal bests in the heats.


Fairweather featured in one of the most highly anticipated races of the championships – the women’s 800m freestyle final where that Katie Ledecky (USA) and Summer McIntosh (Canada) would battle it out for the first time at the major international level. The showdown did not disappoint, being one of the must-watch races of the championships so far.


Fairweather was in lane seven for the final, and she got away to a good start to be fourth at the first turn before settling into a battle with Li Bingjie (China) for sixth over the first half of the race. However, all eyes were on the three-way battle in the middle lanes. Ledecky took the ascendency early, with McIntosh and Lani Pallister (Australia) flanking her on either side. The trio were under World Record mark at the halfway point of the race, with the pace incredibly high as the trio pushed each other along and appeared to be ready to strike in the final stages.


Fairweather settled into seventh place in the fifth 100m, comfortably ahead of the 3km open water knockout World Champion Ichika Kajimoto (Japan). From here, Fairweather continued working hard to achieve the second-best time of her career to finish seventh overall (8:20.79).


The battle for the victory continued to rage throughout the final stages, with the trio neck and neck at 600m and still on World Record pace. Ledecky lifted the pace coming into the final 100m and appeared to slightly lose Pallister on the second last lap, whilst McIntosh remained half a body length behind. The greatest distance swimmer of all time dug deep off the final wall to create a gap over McIntosh who faded in the final lap. Ledecky (8:05.62) set a new Championship Record to hold off a fast-finishing Pallister who motored home to reset the Oceania Record (8:05.98) for silver. McIntosh (8:07.29) took bronze in the greatest showdown over the distance. Ledecky remains undefeated in the women’s 800m freestyle at championship level, taking out the World Championship title for a remarkable seventh time.


Fairweather closed out her campaign in Singapore having made two finals at these World Championships finishing sixth and seventh place in the 200m and 800m freestyle, respectively.


Also in action on day seven were Finn Harland (Coast) and Andrew Jeffcoat (United) in the men’s 50m backstroke.


Harland got away to a great start from lane eight of the last seeded heat, surfacing with the leaders at the 15m mark. The Aquablack debutant swam strongly throughout to touch equal third in the heat (24.76), lowering his personal best and qualifying as the equal tenth fastest through to the semi-finals.


Racing from lane seven in the first of two semi-finals, Harland got away to a good start. The pace was quick with the field incredibly close during the final stages and on to the wall, with the 19-year-old out-touched on the wall to be outside his heat time (25.02) and finish eighth in his semi-final. He placed 16th overall after making his first international semi-final at the senior level.


Jeffcoat started in lane zero of the second fastest heat. He executed his trademark good start and underwater to get away smartly, before the centre lanes moved through in the second half of the race. He swam outside his entry time to touch eighth in the heat (25.09) and finish 27th overall.


Harland and Jeffcoat have now rounded out their campaigns in Singapore.


Laura Quilter (Coast) was also back in the pool, contesting the women’s 50m freestyle. The 2014 Commonwealth Games representative continued her career resurgence, with a personal best in the eighth heat. Swimming from lane six, the 33-year-old had an excellent start and underwater to lead from the get-go. She looked powerful through the water to win the heat (25.08), taking 0.16 seconds her previous lifetime best time. Quilter improved her ranking to finish 22nd overall.


Quilter was thrilled with her personal best on the international stage.

“Today was special. To end my World Champs with a lifetime best is such an awesome feeling. I just went out to race today. No thinking, just focused on keeping a smile on my face through marshalling to quell the nerves and remind myself how special it is to represent New Zealand again.”

Her personal best in the 50m freestyle concludes Quilter’s campaign in Singapore.


 



Other Results for Coaches from New Zealand

We would also like to acknowledge our coaches based in New Zealand who work with athletes representing different federations.


  • Josh Munro coached Kaiya Brown (Roskill, representing Samoa) to 73rd overall in the women’s 50m freestyle (28.88)

  • Sheldon Kemp coached Paige Schendelaar-Kemp (Pukekohe, representing Samoa) to 29th overall as a member of the Samoa 4 x 100m freestyle relay team (3:53.99)

  • Josh Munro coached Kaiya Brown (Roskill, representing Samoa) to 29th overall as a member of the Samoa 4 x 100m freestyle relay team  (3:53.99)

  • Jon Winter coached Kokoro Frost (Otaki Titans, representing Samoa) to 29th overall as a member of the Samoa 4 x 100m freestyle relay team (3:53.99)

 

Day Eight Preview

The final day of competition sees Lewis Clareburt (Club 37) return to the pool as our sole competitor for his favoured men’s 400m individual medley.


Heats are from 2pm NZST and the finals from 11pm NZST. You can watch the livestream through the World Aquatics Recast platform by purchasing access from the link below.





Upcoming Daily Schedule

*Start times are subject to change, while semi-finals and finals are subject to athlete progression


Sunday 3 August


Day Eight Heats - from 2pm NZST
  • Men's 400m individual medley (Clareburt)


Day Eight Semis/Finals (potential) - from 11pm NZST
  • Men's 400m individual medley final (Clareburt*)


Entries & Results


Lewis Clareburt
  • 200m butterfly (10th overall = 1:55.24 - PB in semi-final, 1:56.35 in heat)

  • 200m individual medley (5th overall = 1:57.06 for NZR and PB, 1:57.29 in semi-final, 1:58.19 in heat)

  • 400m individual medley (entry time: 4:10.44)


Louis Clark
  • Men's 3km knockout open water (39th overall, 19th in 1500m heat = 17:58.4)


Caitlin Deans
  • 800m freestyle (10th overall = 8:28.72 - PB)

  • 1500m freestyle (13th overall = 16:13.16)


Erika Fairweather
  • 200m freestyle (6th overall = 1:55.61 in final, 1:55.52 in semi-final, 1:56.54 in heat)

  • 400m freestyle (disqualified)

  • 800m freestyle (7th overall = 8:20.79 in final, 8:22.22 in heat)


Amber George
  • 50m backstroke (25th overall = 28.54)

  • 100m backstroke (29th overall = 1:02.16)


Finn Harland
  • 50m backstroke (16th overall = 25.02 in semi-final, 24.76 in heat - PB)

  • 100m backstroke (22nd overall = 54.17 - PB)


Andrew Jeffcoat
  • 50m backstroke (27th overall = 25.09)


Savannah-Eve Martin
  • 50m backstroke (29th overall = 28.74)


Zoe Pedersen
  • 50m butterfly (24th overall = 26.39)


Laura Quilter
  • 50m butterfly (29th overall = 26.60)

  • 50m freestyle (22nd overall = 25.08 - PB)


Milana Tapper
  • 100m freestyle (28th overall = 55.23)

  • 200m freestyle (21st overall = 1:58.75)


Eve Thomas
  • 400m freestyle (14th overall = 4:10.10)

  • 1500m freestyle (16th overall = 16:28.10)

 

 

Team Selected

The swimmers selected to represent New Zealand:

Name
Aquablack Number
Club
Coach
Role

Lewis Clareburt

257

Club 37

Mitch Nairn

Pool Swimmer

Louis Clark

Debutant

North Shore

Graham Hill

Open Water Swimmer

Caitlin Deans

276

Neptune & Swim Dunedin

Lars Humer

Pool Swimmer

Erika Fairweather

266

North Shore

Graham Hill

Pool Swimmer

Amber George

Debutant

Coast

Michael Weston

Pool Swimmer

Finn Harland

Debutant

Coast

John Gatfield

Pool Swimmer

Andrew Jeffcoat

279

United

Andy McMillan

Pool Swimmer

Savannah-Eve Martin

Debutant

Coast

Michael Weston

Pool Swimmer

Zoe Pedersen

Debutant

Coast

John Gatfield

Pool Swimmer

Laura Quilter

245

Coast

Self Coached, supported by Michael Weston

Pool Swimmer

Milana Tapper

Debutant

St Peter's & Griffith University

Tom Fraser-Holmes

Pool Swimmer

Eve Thomas

270

Coast

Michael Weston

Pool Swimmer


The coaches and support staff selected to guide our Aquablacks are:

Name
Organisation
Role

Graham Hill

Swimming NZ & North Shore

Head Coach

Mitch Nairn

Club 37

Assistant Coach

Michael Weston

Coast

Assistant Coach

Matthew Ingram

HPSNZ

Manager


 
 
 
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