Commonwealth Games: Lewis Clareburt, Dame Sophie Pascoe headline New Zealand's 12-strong swimming team

Lewis Clareburt and Dame Sophie Pascoe lead a 12-strong NZ swimming contingent named for this year's Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The team consist of eight able-bodied athletes and four para-swimmers, as the two programmes run concurrently at Birmingham.

Clareburt, 22, stands tall as New Zealand's brightest medal hope, currently ranked second in both 200m and 400m individual medleys.

Clareburt won 400m medley bronze at Gold Coast 2018 and will look to improve at Birmingham, after an impressive display at last year's Tokyo Olympics, reaching the finals of both medleys.

Dame Sophie Pascoe competes at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Dame Sophie Pascoe competes at the Tokyo Paralympics. Photo credit: Image - Getty Images

Erika Fairweather, 18, was another to impress at Tokyo, with an NZ record over 400m freestyle, and will also compete over 200m at Birmingham.

The pair of Andrew Jeffcoat and Cameron Gray will make Commonwealth Games debuts, and are joined by the quartet of Helena Gasson, Hazel Ouwenhand, Mya Rasmussen and Eve Thomas to round out the able-bodied contingent.

After returning from the Tokyo Paralympics with two gold medals, one silver and a bronze, Dame Sophie Pascoe leads New Zealand's para-swimming charge, hoping to add to her Commonwealth Games medal haul. 

Competing at her third Games, Pascoe has already won four gold medals from Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018.

Pascoe is joined by fellow Tokyo gold medallist Tupou Neiufi for her first Commonwealth Games, with Joshua Willmer, 17, another to make his debut at Birmingham.

Fellow Tokyo veteran Jesse Reynolds will also return to the Commonwealth Games, after a fourth-placed finish at Gold Coast. but the four para-swimmers are selected on a conditional basis, with the NZ Olympic Committee still awaiting confirmation over their allocation of spots.

NZ swimming team: Lewis Clareburt, Erika Fairweather, Helena Gasson, Cameron Gray, Andrew Jeffcoat, Tupou Neiufi, Hazel Ouwenhand, Dame Sophie Pascoe, Eve Thomas, Mya Rasmussen, Jesse Reynolds, Joshua Willmer.