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Kiwi swimmer Daniel Bell - Source: Photosport -
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Most of the New Zealand's Commonwealth Games swimming hopefuls will have a final shakedown ahead of next month's trials when they contest the Auckland championships starting on Wednesday night.
The championships are an opportunity for the leading swimmers to practice their racing skills as well as a litmus test on their progress ahead of the Games trials on April 5-9.
The championships feature 50m titles in all four disciplines to be run in a Skins-style elimination format over four rounds.
Wednesday also features the finals of the men's 1500m and women's 800m freestyle while
Friday sees the second round of the 50m skins series along with the finals of the 400m individual medley.
Saturday includes the100m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, 400m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 100m freestyle along with round three of the 50m series, with heats in the morning and finals at night.
Sunday's programme includes the 200m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley plus the finals of the 50m series.
"The Commonwealth Games contenders are all still in very hard and intensive work right now, so they will be training through the weekend under fatigue," Swimming New Zealand's Jan Cameron said.
"It's another good opportunity for them to hone their racing skills and practice the protocols around a championship.
"I am sure their coaches will be looking for them to have advanced from their previous competition at New South Wales. But they won't be into their tapers for a few weeks yet, so it is more about the process."
