Swimming Greats Back in the Pool

11 December 2009Some of New Zealand's swimming greats will be back in the pool again next year - this time for charity.

Olympic Games bronze medallists Jean Hurring (nee Stewart), Paul Kingsman and Anthony Mosse will join double gold medallist Danyon Loader as part of the Festival of Swimming at Waitakere on 5-10 April 2010.

The week includes the New Zealand Open Championships which double as the Commonwealth Games trials at West Wave Aquatic Centre from 5 to 9 April.

A special meet will be staged on Saturday 10 April which will feature the Commonwealth Games relay trials, a competition for primary, intermediate and secondary schools, and the highlight will be the celebrity races for charity.

Each of the celebrities will represent a charity to be supported on the day.

Kingsman (Organ Donation New Zealand), Mosse (Parkinsons New Zealand) and Loader (Asthma Foundation) will race together for the first time, and will be joined by other former greats including Commonwealth Games gold medallists Rebecca Perrott (Stroke Foundation), Gary Hurring (Diabetes NZ) and Anna Simcic-Forrest (Heart Foundation) to add to the excitement in the pool.

Swimming New Zealand will also host its inaugural Swimming New Zealand Awards on the evening of Saturday 10 April to honour its past and current swimming champions.

This will be one of the biggest swimming events ever held in New Zealand and will in addition benefit several New Zealand charities.

Yahoo!Xtra Sport