Erika Fairweather has rocketed into the pantheon of top 400 metres freestyle swimmers with the Olympics a year away tomorrow

The 19-year-old's time of three minutes 59.59 seconds secured a bronze in the world championships final, becoming the fifth women to break the four-minute barrier in the discipline.

She pipped Canadian Summer McIntosh to finish behind Australian Ariarne Titmus and American Katie Ledecky, all of whom have held the world record.

Swimming New Zealand Olympic pathway lead Gary Francis says the result bodes well for Paris.