Auckland dress rehearsal for Wiegersma

Southland swimmer Natalie Wiegersma will undergo a dress rehearsal this weekend in the leadup to a swim-off that will determine whether she competes in this year's Commonwealth Games in India.

Wiegersma will join fellow Southland team-mates Lisa Pankhurst, Michael Finlay and Richard Harris competing at the Auckland swimming championships starting tonight.

The Auckland championships will be held at the West Wave Aquatics Centre, the same pool in which Wiegersma will next month try to qualify for the Delhi Games.

Southland swimming coach Jeremy Duncan wasn't expecting blistering times from Wiegersma and the other Southland swimmers at the meet this weekend because they are all heavily involved in training at the moment.

Wiegersma is likely to taper off her training a little for the Auckland meet so she can be be ready for the Commonwealth Games trials race on April 6.

"They are quite tired. They've been working very hard lately," Duncan said yesterday.

While he wasn't expecting startling times from his crew, there was still a desire to get results in Auckland.

"It would be nice to get another one over the Aucklanders," he joked.

Wiegersma and Pankhurst are expected to be competitive at the Auckland championships, while for Finlay and Harris, the trip north will be another chance to swim at a quality championship meet as they continue developing their careers.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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