Three Top-16 Finishes and Two Best Times to Round Out World Junior Champs

dale493
1 day ago
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Day Six Wrap of the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships

Our New Zealand team have rounded out their campaign in Romania with three top-16 performances and a pair of personal best performances on the sixth and final day of competition. Monique Wieruszowski (North Shore) achieved two 11th place finishes on the final day, with a personal best in the women’s 200m breaststroke before returning later in the session as part of the women’s 4 x 100m medley relay team who finished 11th overall. Alyssa Tapper (St Peter’s & Griffith University) also set a personal best in the women’s 200m freestyle to finish 16th overall.

Our sole relay event entered in Otopeni was held on the final day with the women’s 4 x 100m medley relay rounding out the last of New Zealand’s sessions. The New Zealand team swam from lane six of the final heat amongst a stacked field of well-recognised swimming countries. Milan Glintmeyer (Coast) led the team off in the backstroke leg, where she got the team away to a strong start to be alongside the leaders through the opening lap and turn in second. She worked the end of the backstroke leg to move into second at the changeover, just 0.06 seconds behind China (1:01.09 split). Monique Wieruszowski (North Shore) dove in for the breaststroke leg, where she used her pace to maintain second place through her first lap, working hard through next lap to stay with new leader USA. She handed over in fourth place (1:10.10 split) to Zoe Pedersen (Coast), with the 50m World Junior Champion tackling the longer butterfly distance for the team. She retained fourth place through the first lap and continued to work through the return lap to handover in sixth place (1:00.48 split). Alyssa Lawson (Hamilton Aquatics & St Andrew’s) emptied the tank to maintain sixth throughout the freestyle leg (56.62 split). The team (4:08.29) finished 11th overall, with five nations from their heat progressing to the final.

Earlier in the session, Wieruszowski raced the longest individual event of her campaign, where she took on the women’s 200m breaststroke on the final day of competition. Swimming from lane one of the last of the heats, she had a good reaction and a positive start through the opening lap to be second at the turn. A line of swimmers were behind Lena Ludwig (Germany – 2:27.72) in lane five as she swam her own race out front. Wieruszowski turned in sixth at halfway and seventh at the 150m, before showcasing her sprint breaststroke during the final lap to move into sixth and get her hands on the wall in fifth on the touch (2:31.91). She achieved a personal best time en route to placing 11th overall.

Wieruszowski rounds out her campaign in Otepeni, highlighted by a fifth place finish in the 100m breaststroke and three 18 years New Zealand age records. Congratulations to Wieruszowski and coach Graham Hill for her performances at her second World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships.

Alyssa Tapper competed in the women’s 200m freestyle. She was in lane eight of the eighth heat, and it was clear that there were two races taking place. Rylee Erisman (USA – 1:57.76) continued her outstanding form at the championships to blitz the field from the start. The remaining lanes formed a wall down the pool in the early stages after Tapper had a good start. She turned in eighth at the 50m mark, before moving up to seventh at halfway. She continued her move up the order to be equal fifth at the last turn, before coming home in sixth place (2:02.37). The result was a personal best for the 18-year-old, earning her a placing of 16th overall.

That concluded Tapper’s campaign in Otopeni, with her personal best on the final day of competition adding to her 14th place finish in the 400m freestyle. Congratulations to Tapper and coach Tom Fraser-Holmes for her performances when representing New Zealand on the international stage for the first time.

Daniel Kregting (Roskill) returned to complete his participation in all three butterfly distances, with the men’s 200m butterfly as his preferred event. He swam from lane one of the final heat and had a solid reaction from the blocks to set up an excellent start to lead at the first turn. The centre lanes got to work through the second lap to establish a lead with Kregting in fourth at halfway. He continued to work through the second half of the race, turning for home in sixth and finishing in seventh (2:03.25). The 18-year-old swam the fourth best time of his career to finish in 21st overall.

Kregting completed his campaign with his best placing in the world to complement his personal best in the 100m butterfly earlier in the week. Congratulations to Kregting and his coach Josh Munro for his performances in Otopeni.

Ariel Muchirahondo (Swim Rotorua) also tackled the men’s 200m butterfly on the final day of competition. The 16-year-old raced from lane nine of the fifth heat and got away to a good start to be with the leaders over the opening lap. He turned in fourth at the 50m mark and held his position to halfway. The centre yellow lanes pushed the pace through the middle part of the race, with Muchirahondo turning for home in fifth place. The field timed their surge until the final lap, with Muchirahondo coming home in ninth (2:03.26). The time was the fifth best of his career as he finished 22nd overall in the event, one place and just one hundredth of a second behind Kregting.

Muchirahondo rounded out his first major international competition with the four individual events in Romania, his highlight being a personal best and 16 years New Zealand age record in the men’s 100m backstroke. Congratulations to Muchirahondo and coach Aidan Withington for his performances across the championships.

Championships Recap

The six days of racing were successful for the New Zealand team consisting of nine swimmers. The standout performance was Pedersen’s gold medal in the women’s 50m butterfly, continuing New Zealand’s streak of winning a medal at each of the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships they’ve attended.

However, there were plenty more performances to celebrate. Collectively, the team achieved ten top-16 finishes – including four finals appearances – plus 13 New Zealand age records and 15 personal bests. Eight swimmers on the team achieved at least one personal best on the big stage. A breakdown of records and personal bests have been provided below.

Congratulations to the team for their performances representing New Zealand over the past week.

Finals Appearances (Top 8 Finishes) = 4

Zoe Pedersen = 2
Milan Glintmeyer = 1
Monique Wieruszowski = 1

Top 16 Finishes = 10

Zoe Pedersen = 3
Milan Glintmeyer = 2
Monique Wieruszowski = 2
Alyssa Tapper = 2
Women's 4 x 100m medley relay (Milan Glintmeyer, Monique Wieruszowski, Zoe Pedersen, Alyssa Lawson) = 1

New Zealand Age Records = 13

Zoe Pedersen = 5
Milan Glintmeyer = 4
Monique Wieruszowski = 3
Ariel Muchirahondo = 1

Personal Bests = 15

Zoe Pedersen = 4
Milan Glintmeyer = 3
James Leigh = 3
Daniel Kregting = 1
Ariel Muchirahondo = 1
Igor Russanov = 1
Alyssa Tapper = 1
Monique Wieruszowski = 1

You can find the full results from the championships via the link below. A full summary of the New Zealand results are provided further below.

Results

You can re-watch the livestream on demand through the World Aquatics Recast platform behind their pay-wall from the link below.

Watch Here

Swimmer Results

Milan Glintmeyer

Women’s 50m backstroke (result: 28.35 in semi-final - 9th overall - PB and 17 years NZ age record, 28.52 in heat - PB and 17 years NZ age record)
Women’s 100m backstroke (result: 8th in final - 1:00.90, 1:00.56 in semi-final - PB and 17 years NZ age record, 1:01.07 in heat - 17 years NZ age record)
Women’s 100m butterfly (result: 1:01.76 - 33rd overall)
Women's 4 x 100m medley relay (result: 1:01.09 backstroke split, 4:08.29 - 11th overall)

Daniel Kregting

Men’s 50m butterfly (result: 25.63 - 52nd overall)
Men’s 100m butterfly (result: 55.43 - 33rd overall - PB)
Men’s 200m butterfly (result: 2:03.25 - 21st overall)

Alyssa Lawson

Women’s 50m freestyle (result: 26.28 - 25th overall)
Women’s 100m freestyle (result: 56.93 - 28th overall)
Women's 4 x 100m medley relay (result: 56.62 freestyle split, 4:08.29 - 11th overall)

James Leigh

Men’s 200m freestyle (result: 1:51.04 - 21st overall - PB)
Men’s 400m freestyle (result: 3:55.55 - 19th overall - PB)
Men’s 800m freestyle (result: 8:13.96 - 22nd overall - PB)

Ariel Muchirahondo

Men’s 100m backstroke (result: 56.51 - 25th overall - PB and 16 years NZ age record)
Men’s 200m butterfly (result: 2:03.26 - 22nd overall)
Men’s 200m individual medley (result: 2:04.70 - 24th overall)
Men’s 400m individual medley (result: 4:30.48 - 25th overall)

Zoe Pedersen

Women’s 50m freestyle (result: 25.43 in semi-final - 10th overall - 18 years NZ age record, 25.48 in heat)
Women’s 100m freestyle (result: 8th in final - 55.06, 55.03 in semi-final - PB and 18 years NZ age record, 55.16 in heat - PB and 18 years NZ age record)
Women’s 50m butterfly (result: Gold Medal - 25.63 in final - PB and 18 years NZ age record, 25.79 in semi-final - PB and 18 years NZ age record, 26.17 in heat)
Women's 4 x 100m medley relay (result: 1:00.48 butterfly split, 4:08.29 - 11th overall)

Igor Russanov

Men’s 50m freestyle (result: 23.29 - 29th overall)
Men’s 100m freestyle (result: 50.52 - 30th overall - PB)

Alyssa Tapper

Women’s 200m freestyle (result: 2:02.37 - 16th overall - PB)
Women’s 400m freestyle (result: 4:16.55 - 14th overall)

Monique Wieruszowski

Women’s 50m breaststroke (result: 32.48 - 21st overall)
Women’s 100m breaststroke (result: 5th in final - 1:08.65 - 18 years NZ age record, 1:09.01 in semi-final - 18 years NZ age record, 1:09.69 in heat - 18 years NZ age record at 50m split - 31.80)
Women’s 200m breaststroke (result: 2:31.91 - 11th overall - PB)
Women's 4 x 100m medley relay (result: 1:10.10 breaststroke split, 4:08.29 - 11th overall)

Team Selected

The swimmers selected to represent New Zealand:

Name	Club	Coach	Role
Milan Glintmeyer	Coast	John Gatfield	Swimmer
Daniel Kregting	Roskill	Josh Munro	Swimmer
Alyssa Lawson	Hamilton Aquatics & St Andrew's	Brad Hillier	Swimmer
James Leigh	Coast & Marist	James Boyce	Swimmer
Ariel Muchirahondo	Swim Rotorua	Aidan Withington	Swimmer
Zoe Pedersen	Coast	John Gatfield	Swimmer
Igor Russanov	Coast	John Gatfield	Swimmer
Alyssa Tapper	St Peter's & Griffith University	Tom Fraser-Holmes	Swimmer
Monique Wieruszowski	North Shore	Graham Hill	Swimmer

The coaches and support staff selected to guide our New Zealand are:

Name	Organisation	Role
John Gatfield	Coast	Head Coach
Aidan Withington	Swim Rotorua	Assistant Coach
Amanda White	Swimming NZ	Team Manager