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Teen swimmer stunned after qualifying for Olympic final

July 26, 2021

Young Dunedin swimming starlet Erika Fairweather has smashed the New Zealand record on her way to qualifying for the final of the 400-metre freestyle this evening.

The 17-year-old swam a sensational 4:02.28 to finish in second place in the final heat behind Australian Ariarne Titmus and qualify fourth fastest for the final.

Her time broke Lauren Boyle's national record of 4:03.63, set in London nine years ago.

The stunned Fairweather looked lost for words when she looked up to see her time was over four seconds faster than her personal best.

She will now have the opportunity to compete for a medal in the final tomorrow afternoon, as well as race against American legend Katie Ledecky.

The final is set to take place at 2.20pm New Zealand time Monday.

WATCH THE OLYMPICS: TVNZ 1 and TVNZ OnDemand feature 12 hours of free-to-air action focussed on Kiwi athletes each afternoon and evening, while Sky TV has Olympics coverage across 12 channels and streaming platforms.

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