From 20-25 August, Year 9 student Jayden Lee participated in the 2024 New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships in Auckland.

Jayden (now Wharenui Swim Club), participated in a total of 10 events: 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m Freestyle; 50m, 100m, 200m Backstroke; 50m Butterfly; 100m, and 200m Individual Medley.

He won the 13-year-old 100m Backstroke title and placed second in both the 50m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke.

In addition, Jayden broke a Canterbury West Coast record in the 100m Backstroke and broke his own record again in the 200m Backstroke.

• 100m Backstroke 59.59 (Previously Paris Olympian Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (1:00.62) in 2017

•  200m Backstroke 2:14.28 (Previously Jayden Lee (2:14.48) in 2024.

On the back of this success, Jayden has been named in the Canterbury West Coast Target 2032 Squad, a 15-strong squad with a focus on developing athletes for the next Olympic Games.