Town to Pangaimotu Island swim in 21:37 mins [1]
Monday, September 6, 2010 - 22:30. Updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 - 14:41.
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SWIMMING in a time of 21 minutes and 37 seconds Ashley Perkins from Australia completed the Nuku'alofa to Pangaimotu Island "Fear no Sharks" open water swim competition on Saturday September 4, and set the first official record for the swim.
On a perfect day for swimming, in bright sunshine and with flat seas, 28 swimmers (17 males and 11 females) took part in the 1.3 kilometer swim and 12 swimmers reached Pangaimotu in less than 30 minutes. They were accompanied by an escort boat and kayaks, starting out from the New Zealand High Commission Compound foreshore on Vuna Road.
Alo Fe'iloakitau, President Tonga Swimming Association, said the swim followed by a barbeque event on Pangaimotu Island was part of the fundraising activities to assist Tonga's swimming team to go to the Delhi Commonwealth Games, October 3-14. He said that Amini Fonua a swimmer who had qualified for the Commonwealth Games would be Tonga's first representative in swimming since 1946. Amini trains in the USA.
Official places in the Town to Pangimotu Island Swim 2010 were:
MALES
1st Ashley Perkins 21:37
2nd Alo Fe'iloakitau 24:47
3rd Gerhard Sanft 25:18
FEMALES
1st Nicola Fry 27:21
2nd Shari Freeman 31:03
3rd Claudia Cuskelly 33:31
Fast times by females with flippers:
Rochelle Fineanganofo 28:47
Anne Lohmann 30:22.
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