[ad_1]
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Erika Fairweather competing in the 800m freestyle final at the 2023 world swimming championships in Japan.
Erika Fairweather was undone by a bout of cramp as she looked to add a second medal to her 2023 Aquatics World Championship haul on Sunday (NZ time) in Fukoka, Japan.
Competing in the final of the 800m Freestyle against the likes of Katie Ledecky and Ariane Titmus, Fairweather held her own over the first 250m before cramp took hold of her left hamstring.
The Dunedin swimmer was unable to battle back into the race and finished in eighth place in a time of 8:28.21s.
The event concluded a successful meet for Fairweather who picked up her first ever World Championship medal, a bronze in the 400m freestyle earlier in the week.
Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Andrew Jeffcoat of Team New Zealand, pictured at the world swimming championships, has qualified for his first world final in the 50m backstroke.
Meanwhile, Andrew Jeffcoat held his nerve in his semi-final to qualify for the final of the 50m Backstroke. It will be Jeffcoat’s first ever World Championships final.
The Club 37 swimmer posting a time of 24.81s to qualify 8th and saying on social media he’s grateful for another opportunity to compete under the lights.
The Kiwis were also in action in the mixed freestyle relay, an event unique to the World Championships. Having shuffled the team with Fairweather out to focus on her 800m, there was no expectation on the quartet of Cam Gray, Carter Swift, Helena Gasson and Chelsey Edwards other than to swim to their best, with the athletes posting 48.77s, 49.06s, 55.79s and 55.43s respectively to put the team a respectable 16th in 3:29.05s.
Sunday (Monday NZ time) is the final day of competition with Jeffcoat contesting his final as well as the men’s 4×100 medley relay alongside Josh Gilbert, Lewis Clareburt and Cameron Gray.
[ad_2]