Clareburt, Fairweather Headline New Zealand Roster For Singapore

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2025 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, July 26th – Sunday, August 3rd (pool swimming)
• OCBC Aquatic Centre
• Singapore
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Roster Index

The 2025 World Championships are nearly upon us, with action kicking off about two months from now in Singapore.

We’ve been tracking the rosters as they’ve been announced, with our index linked in the bullets above.

The latest lineup to be revealed is that of New Zealand, with the nation sending a 12-strong squad to race in the pool and open water swimming events.

Olympic finalist and multi-national record holder Lewis Clareburt and fellow Olympian and world champion Erika Fairweather headline the lineup, which also includes six newcomers.

Among the new faces is that of Milana Tapper, the Thomas Fraser-Holmes-trained breakout star from the recently concluded New Zealand Championships. Tapper ripped a big-time personal best of 1:57.95 at that Singapore qualifying competition to finish behind Fairweather in the women’s 200m freestyle.

Tapper had never before been under the 2:00 barrier entering the meet but suddenly she became her nation’s 3rd-best performer ever in the event. She trains under TFH at Griffith University.

Amber Georgeis another debutant after having earned her roster slot in the women’s 50m back by becoming New Zealand’s #2 female swimmer ever.

At the 2023 World Championships, Fairweather represented the sole Kiwi medalist, earning bronze in the women’s 400m free. Last year in Doha, New Zealand finished 7th in the swimming medal table, capturing 4 medals. Hardware went to Fairweather who won 400m free gold, 200m free silver and 800m free bronze. Clareburt was the men’s 400m IM champion.