AIMS Games: Excitement expected at Baywave | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

As the NZCT AIMS Games kicked off yesterday with the popular Cross Country and Opening Ceremony, excitement builds for organizers of the Swimming event.

The AIMS swimming meet is a two day event held at Baywave, starting with the heats at 5.00pm tonight and concluding with the action packed finals on Tuesday evening. 

Swimming code coordinator Freda Delaney is anticipating an exciting meet again in 2011 with 28 schools involved. 

“Paige Schendelaar-Kemp from Bucklands Beach, Auckland holds eight national age group records”, Delaney mentions.  

At just 13 years old, Schendelaar-Kemp set records in both the 50 and 100 metre Butterfly in August this year, adding to her records set just one month early in July as a 12 year old in the 50 and 100 metre Freestyle, 50, 100 and 200 metre Butterfly and 200 meter Individual Medley all set in July. 

“Paige will be swimming in all of those events and more this week. I think she is on a real roll and will be one to watch”, said Delaney.

Also in action will be Gabrielle Fa'amausili from Blockhouse Bay Intermediate.  Fa'amausili holds the 12 year old national record for the 50metrebackstroke, a record she set when swimming at the Greerton Winter meet in July.

Teammate Yinhui Cui also from Blockhouse Bay swims the 100 metre freestyle in less than a minute, “although he doesn’t hold a national record, this is an incredible time for someone so young.”

180 competitors are set to take to the pool for the much anticipated 100 metre Freestyle event with the fastest time being 59.44 seconds the slowest being 1.25.00 seconds, a difference of nearly 26 seconds. While the 50 metre Freestyle has 199 swimmers with a time difference of just 13 seconds.

Winners in the pool will be presented their medals by Manchester Commonwealth Games silver medallist and Sydney Olympian Liz van Welie on Tuesday evening.  Now owner of the Liz van Welie Swim School in Tauranga, Liz is thrilled to be part of the games and encouraging young people to strive for their goals.