With Day 4 seeing another 3 World Records broken, it was another exciting day for the Kiwis as they continued their fine performances at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Melbourne. The team broke 5 New Zealand Records and set 8 individual personal bests, as well as having 4 swims during the finals session.

Helena Gasson smashed her own New Zealand Record by 0.38 seconds in the 100m Individual Medley in her first individual final at the international level (58.40). Gasson demonstrated her underwater prowess to be 3rd at the first turn, 4th at the halfway point and 1st at the end of the breaststroke leg to send the team into raptures as she came down the final lap to finish 5th overall. An incredible swim, a big congratulations to Helena Gasson on her performance on the big stage.

Caitlin Deans obliterated her personal best time by 13.54 seconds in the fastest timed final of the 1500m Freestyle (15:51.98). Deans produced the swim of her life from lane 1 to start in the top 3 at the end of the first 100m and settled into a battle for the minor medals across the pool, as Australian Lani Pallister went out like a rocket and was under Katie Ledecky’s World Record pace early on her way to her 4th World Championship title of the week. At the 500m mark (5:14.46 split), Deans was 5th but staying within striking distance of 3rd place. In the middle 500m, Deans started to make her move and was up to 4th at the halfway point and closing the gap on third by the 1000m mark (5:19.15 split). Deans accelerated into outright 3rd place early into the last 500m, as the NZ team was whipped into a frenzy of support, and was in a race to the finish to touch 4th in the fastest timed final (5:18.37 split). American Kensey McMahon had produced a faster time in the morning session to see Deans claim 5th position overall, an outstanding swim in her first individual final.