Pini makes 50m butterfly final

PAPUA New Guinea stand a good chance of winning their first medal of the 19th Commonwealth Games today when swimmer Ryan Pini steps on the starting block at the Dr S.P. Mukherjee Aquatic Complex.
PNG’s “gold fish” clocked a time of 24.36 in the second semi-final to finish third and qualify for the final today.
Although this was not his favoured length – he won gold in the 100m butterfly at the last Games in 2006 in Melbourne – Pini was good enough to finishsixth overall for the final of the 50m butterfly.
He is the current 100m butterfly champion recording a time of 52.64 ahead of Australian Michael Klim (52.70) and Moss Burmester (52.73) in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. 
Pini will have to improve on his time in the 50m butterfly as South African Rolands Schoeman (23.34) is the current champion over 50m while former world champion  and Olympic bronze medalist Geoff Huegill of Australia is also in the final.
The world record in the 50m butterfly is 22.43 set by Spaniard Rafael Munoz last year at the Spanish championships in Malaga, Spain.
Pini, who had similar swim in the 100m butterfly where he finished fourth in his heat in Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006, surprised everyone to edge the competition favourite Klim to win the country’s first ever gold medal.
Pini will swim the 100m butterfly heats  tomorrow at the same venue.
PNG’s other two male swimmers – Adam Pryke and Peter Pokawin – despite finishing second and third respectively in their heats did not meet the qualification requirement and bowed out of the swimming competition.
Chef de mission Tamzan Wardley was extremely happy with Pini’s performance despite this not being his favoured length for the butterfly.
“Ryan is the current Commonwealth Games 100m butterfly champion and everyone is looking forward to his swim,” she said.