Blenheim swimmers shine at short course champs

Forty-three swimmers from the Blenheim Swimming Club competed at the recent annual Swimming Nelson Marlborough Short Course Championships.

The BSC contingent were among 115 participants from across the region who gathered at Stadium 2000 on 15-16 August.

One of the top swimmers on show was 11-year-old Riley Guildford who once again showcased his style, determination and burgeoning talent.

Riley broke five Swimming Nelson Marlborough records across the weekend, swimming the 200m and 400m freestyle, 100m and 200m backstroke, and 200m individual medley faster than any 11-year-old swimmer from Nelson Marlborough had previously achieved.

His record-breaking performances also saw Riley take out the one-prize bounty for the biggest percentage margin of a record broken, finishing a whopping 2.91 percent faster than the previous record in the 400m freestyle - the record having stood since February 2018.

Riley also took home the 11–12-year-old boys’ age-group trophy, recognising his impressive all-round performance across the meet.

Seventeen-year-old Nicola Lovell, also from BSC, was another standout. Nicola again achieved the highest points total for the 15-years-and-over female category and added another record to her achievements, breaking the Swimming Nelson Marlborough age group and open record in the 100m individual medley.

Overall, the BSC contingent produced a huge number of medals and outstanding performances across all age groups.

Local administrators said, “the results are a fantastic indication that swimming in the Nelson Marlborough region is looking very promising, with young swimmers continuing to develop and achieve at a high level.

“The Blenheim Swimming Club would like to thank the Swimming Nelson Marlborough community, Stadium 2000, technical officials, volunteers, coaches, supporters and families who helped make the weekend such a success.”

Young Blenheim swimmer is US-bound

A dedicated swimmer has reaped the rewards of his hard work.

Finlay McNabb, a member of the Blenheim Swimming Club for the past decade, will be heading over to West Virginia, USA, on a four-year swimming and academic scholarship. The 18-year-old will swim for Davis and Elkins College; a Division 2 college that competes within the Mountain East conference. There, he will swim against other Division 2 schools in West Virginia, as well as schools in Maryland and Ohio.

Finlay feels privileged to receive such an opportunity. “I’m quite fortunate; I have an academic and an athletic scholarship, so I was really lucky to be able to get both”, he explains.

However, it was more than ‘luck’ that landed the local swim star this accolade. His gruelling training schedule consists of seven swimming sessions a week, along with three gym sessions. Preparation is important for Finlay, who leaves for the US on 4 August.

“I work casually/part time as a lifeguard at the local pool here (Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000), and I’m just trying to save up money for things I might need when I’m over there, plus just doing a bit of extra gym work and an extra swim a week when I can.”

Finlay’s recruiting process has been a long time in the works. Starting in January 2025, he worked alongside agency Platform Sport Management to locate schools that would provide an ‘appropriate fit’ for him.

This included zoom calls with coaches, emails with potential colleges, and an internal pressure to keep his grades and times up to standard.

By the time June/July had rolled around, Finlay had narrowed down his options to six schools, which he then visited in order to gauge what would be the perfect choice. Davis and Elkins stood out so, once he received and confirmed his offer in November 2025, it was an easy decision.

Finlay McNabb. Photo Jessica Lovell

Davis and Elkins boasts a host of athletic teams known as the ‘Senators.’ Finlay will mainly swim middle distance races for the team, focusing on freestyle and butterfly, while also having the chance to dabble in other strokes.

Aside from his scholarship, Finlay’s proudest swimming achievements came at the NZ open swimming championships this year, where he was “really happy” to reach two B finals and a C final.

Outside of swimming, Finlay will complete a four-year Bachelor of Science degree, specialising in biology. “Hopefully I can land a nice job in a research lab, either doing marine biology research or genetic research” he adds.

The future for this Blenheim swimmer is laden with opportunity. However, Finlay claims realizes these opportunities would not have been possible without a devoted support group.

“I’d like to extend a massive thank you to both my parents, especially my mum for all the help she has given me along the way, helping me with all the visa stuff and making sure I was up early for all the 4am zoom calls with college coaches.

“I’d also like to thank Shane Skehan, my swim coach, who has helped me get to where I am today in my swimming, and Platform for helping find me a college that is right for my ability - a place where I am not the best but can definitely slot in the top group and thrive at the school.”

Nicola swims her way into NZ team

Nicola Lovell’s burgeoning swimming career just surged to another level.

Last week the 17-year-old Marlborough Girls’ College student was named in the New Zealand Tri-Series 18-and-under swim team which will travel to West Australia in July, competing against Australian state teams.

Nicola has steadily risen through the ranks nationally, producing a string of top results at various long and short course meets over the past few seasons.

She capped her national selection with a strong showing at the recent NZ Open Swimming Championships in Auckland. Competing in the 17-18 age group against the nation’s best, Nicola narrowly missed podium placings, finishing fourth in the 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley, while adding fifth, sixth and ninth placings in other events.

She also produced three top results in the open category, against all-comers, finishing seventh in the 200 and 400m IM races and 200m breaststroke.

This will be Nicola’s first time in New Zealand colours, her call-up leaving her “excited and very happy”.

She went up to the nationals with a “hit or miss” attitude to attaining NZ selection.

“I had my eyes on the team, but was certainly not confident that I was going to make it,” she said.

“I got personal bests in the 200IM and 100 breast stroke so this was definitely my highlight of the year.

“It was always a big goal of mine to represent New Zealand, I thought it would be pretty awesome and maybe a stepping stone to bigger things … I’m just not sure what at the moment,” she added with a chuckle.

Nicola Lovell will race in Australia in July. Photo Peter Jones.

The format for the Aussie meet is different to a championship event. Swimmers will compete for points for their respective teams. The NZ squad will be split into two teams, NZ Black and NZ White, who will endeavour to score more points collectively than their Kiwi rivals, plus teams from Swimming Victoria and Western Australia.

She will continue to train up to the leaving date on July 5 with Blenheim Swimming Club coach Shane Skehan. One bonus is the fact she will training in her preferred 25m pool, the same distance as the facility used for the Tri-Series, which will run over three days.

Nicola says she knows her Kiwi team mates well, having competed against them at various meets in NZ, but adds, “I look forward to making more friends over there”.

Blenheim swimmers among the medals

Marlborough’s two representatives at the National Age Group Swimming Champs in Hasting earlier in the month did the province proud.

Blenheim Swim Club members Will Atkinson and Nicola Lovell were the only participants from here, after Max Skehan withdrew late due to illness and injury. Seventeen and 18-year-olds have been removed from the NAGS programme and will race at the NZ Opens in late May.

Will Atkinson, centre, on the victory dias after his breakthrough victory in the 50 fly final. Photo Swimming NZ

Will, racing in the 14 years boys division, continues his ascent up the NZ ranks, especially in his preferred butterfly stroke where he picked up his first national title with a gold medal in the 50 fly and a bronze in the 100 fly. He also reached the final of the 50 back.

Nicola, who competed in the 16-year-old girls section, followed up last year’s medal by claiming two silver medals in the 400 individual medley and bronze in the 200IM as well as a fourth place in the 200 breast and made the final of the 100 breast.

The next major events for these two will be NZ secondary schools in July, the Swimming Nelson Marlborough champs in early August and then the South Island champs which are in Blenheim this year from Aug 22-24.

The BSC will have a team of four heading to the NZ opens in May - Jack Bugler, Jack Love, Jessica Lovell and Finlay McNabb.

Jack’s happy just doing what he loves

Jack Love’s focus has been sharpened by a series of outstanding swims at the recent national championships in Auckland.

A bold showing in the National Aquatic Centre 50 metre pool has whetted the 18-year-old Blenheim Swimming Club athlete’s appetite for the forthcoming national short course champs, a meet where he tasted success last year, picking up a gold and two silver age group medals.

At the long course nationals, Jack showed he can foot it with the nation’s best.

The format this year meant combined both open and 17-18 year grades, with medals presented in both.

Jack competed in five events at the nationals, one each day. His highlight came in the 400m individual medley where he won the 17-18 title and placed third overall, his first open medal. He picked up a silver medal in the younger division in the 200m fly, was fourth in the 400m free, fifth in the 200IM and raced the 100m free., setting long course personal bests in each event.

“I was pretty happy with the open medal,” said Jack.

“Usually the Olympian Lewis Clareburt would be there, but he is in Europe training so that freed up things a bit.”

He was also proud of his efforts in the 200m fly B final, where he chased down and caught the leader in sight of the wall.

“That was pretty cool … apparently the crowd were going crazy – I could see him out of the corner of my eye and he basically stopped in the final 10 metres,” added Jack, who admitted the constant racing took its toll over the course of the champs.

“It was exhausting,” said Jack, “it was wake up, eat, swim, repeat basically.”

Jack said his results at the nationals were on par with his efforts at last year’s NZ short course champs but felt there are improvements being made and more to come, especially in short course racing.

“The Blenheim pool is a short course pool, 25 metres, which I am more used to, whereas the pool at the nationals was a 50-metre pool … although you still cover the same distance and it doesn’t sound like there is much change, it is like a completely different race in a shorter pool.

“I prefer short course racing – it is what I am used to, what my body is used to I guess.”

Jack atop the 400IM podium. Photos supplied.

He admitted there were improvement to be made if he wants to make his mark at the short course champs, which take place in Auckland during September.

“My turns need work but hopefully I can manage a big PB in what will be my big event of the year,” he said.

Jack will compete in the open grade at the short course event, a situation he welcomes, along with the chance to rub shoulders with the nation’s elite swimmers.

“It’s cool because I really like having strong competition, because I don’t always get that in my age group here”, he said.

“It’s also nice to know that someone else in New Zealand with the same objective is training as hard as I am. That keeps me working hard. I am also a bit obsessed with getting PBs, just improving.”

Jessica Lovell and Finn McNabb also travelled north for the recent champs, along with coach Shane Skehan, a man Jack credits for his recent improvements.

“He is great at spotting the little things – he just helps everyone out so much.

“I couldn’t do any of it without my [Blenheim Swim Club] team mates though, they just make training so much more enjoyable ... the club has a great culture. It is a fun place to be at.”

Junior swimmers shine down south

The future of competitive swimming in Marlborough is in good hands if the efforts of the younger brigade are anything to go by.

Recently a team of nine Blenheim Swimming Club members – five boys and four girls aged 12 and under – travelled to Dunedin to compete in the annual junior Makos swimming festival.

The three-day competition hosted around 250 swimmers from 32 different clubs across the South Island, racing over distances from 50 to 200 metres across all four strokes.

The Blenheim contingent have been putting in the hard yards over the last couple of months with coach Shane Skehan and it certainly paid off with a remarkable number of personal best times and a record number of podiums.

Ten-year-old Riley Guildford led the way, achieving a record number of podium finishes for a Blenheim SC member at this meet.

Riley came first in seven of his nine entered events and very close seconds in the other two. A highlight came in the 100m fly, where he broke his own Nelson Marlborough record set a month earlier.

Ethan Spencer, 12, placed in the top 10 swimmers in his age group for three out of his nine individual events, reaching PBs in all his events, while cutting more than nine seconds off his 200 IM best.

Charlotte  d’Auvergne, 11, recorded a full sheet of PBs in the eight personal events she swum, knocking more than 12 seconds off her best 200m freestyle time and showing her versatility by eclipsing her PB by nearly four seconds in the gruelling 200m IM.

Annabel Rose, 12, achieved personal best times in all of the eight events swum, her highlight a massive 12.7 seconds off her 100m backstroke time.

Adam Brain, 11, set PBs in all seven of his chosen events, highlighted by an improvement of over 12 seconds in the 200m free.

Herbie Hodson, 12, managed an 18-second PB in the 200 IM, Tia Hickman, 12, knocked over 10 seconds off her 100m backstroke PB and over nine seconds from her 100m breaststroke time.

Eight-year-old Freddy Guildford, the youngest of the team, in his first representative swimming meet, set PBs in the 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke while Harriet d’Auvergne, 10, competed in eight events and set a big PB in the 50m free.