Whakatāne swimmer Zandre Herbst produced some cracking performances at the New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships, earning himself a bronze medal and breaking the 24-second time barrier in the 50-metre freestyle.

It was an action-packed event for the 15-year-old, who competed in eight events at the championships, held at Christchurch’s newly opened swimming facility.

His events included the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, the 100m and 200m individual medley, and the 50m and 100m butterfly.

Zandre’s performances included a third placing in the 400m freestyle (15-year-old age group), alongside three fourth-place finishes, two fifths, a sixth and an 11th place.

Zandre also qualified for three B finals and one C final, competing among the top swimmers in New Zealand across all age groups.

Highlights included a 14th-place finish in the 400m freestyle, 19th in the 200m freestyle and 16th in the 200m individual medley.

One of his highlights was going under 24 seconds in the 50m freestyle, a milestone he was thrilled to achieve. He also claimed a bronze medal in one of his least-favourite events, making that result even more special.

“I was quite shocked when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw my name next to third place because that was my least favourite event,” Herbst said.

“You can’t really beat that feeling when stepping up on that podium. It’s speechless.”

Another highlight was competing in national relays for the first time with his new swimming team, Liz Van Welie.

Herbst said he particularly enjoyed the atmosphere at the championships and was impressed by Christchurch’s new pool.

“I found it so cool … it was definitely one of my favourite pools in New Zealand. And don’t even get me started with the atmosphere there.”

Despite his success, the swimming season has brought some challenges.

Following the departure of his former coach, Mason Pickering, who moved to United Swim Club, Zandre had to adapt to training independently while continuing to develop his performance.

He has since moved to the Liz Van Welie Swimming Club in Tauranga, where he trains three to four times a week, while maintaining a demanding overall schedule of eight training sessions a week from Monday to Saturday, including double sessions on some days.

Looking ahead, Zandre is determined to build on his recent achievements. His plans include starting regular gym sessions three times a week and travelling to Rotorua for Saturday training in a 50-metre pool to prepare for the National Age Group Championships (NAGS) next year.