Konrad Artz has proved yet again he can foot it with the New Zealand’s best age group swimmers.
The teen swimming sensation is with the Ashburton Swim Team and competed in the recent 2026 New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships in Christchurch and won a national title.
The Year 9 student from Ashburton College student came away holding the title for 14-year-old boys in the 200m butterfly (fly), and also earned a silver in both the 100m and 50m fly, with personal bests in all three events.
He said it was awesome standing on the podium receiving his medals and he found the 200m fly ceremony particularly amusing.
“I was the shortest swimmer up there, but the top spot made me the tallest,” he said.
Konrad said the 200m fly was his favourite event and also the hardest length to swim “because it’s like a long race and a sprint race together”.
"I was pleased to win the 200 fly, I was second last year.”
"My time in the 100 fly final was 59.58 (seconds), the first time I had gone under a minute.”
When competing in big swim meets, Konrad said he repeats his mantra “I’m in it to win it’ to himself to keep the nerves away.
Although his butterfly stroke earned him his medal haul, Konrad also put in pretty handy times in his freestyle events up to 200m and his individual medley events up to the 400m.
The young swimmer attributes much of his success to swim coach Jeff Gould.
"Jeff knows what’s wrong and is really good at fixing strokes,” he said.
Konrad trains four days a week at the pool swimming for two hours in the early morning and again after school.
"I also do push-ups and pull ups at home.”
The weekends see him either competing or spending more time in the EA Networks Centre pool.
Konrad is now eyeing up the Canterbury 200m fly age group record which is within reach.
"I am only half a second off that time,” he said.
And his long term goals including more national titles and “the Olympics are on the cards.”
Also competing at the 2026 New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships was swimmer Elliot Watson of Ashburton who had personal best times in her individual medley and butterfly events.