2023 AUSTRALIAN AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- April 7-15, 2023
- Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport, AUS
- LCM (50 meters)
- Championship Central
- Day 1+2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/Day 5+6 Recap
- Live Results
- Live Stream
The penultimate night of action at the 2023 Australian Age Championships saw 17-year-old Flynn Southam crack a new lifetime best in the boys’ 200m freestyle.
Southam of Bond fired off a time of 1:46.24 to take his age category’s gold, getting to the wall exactly two seconds ahead of the next-closest competitor.
Southam opened in 51.58 and closed in 54.66 to hack over half a second off of his previous PB. Entering this meet, Southam had been as quick as 1:46.77 from this same meet last year.
His 1:46.24 outing tonight is fast approaching Ian Thorpe‘s historic age record of 1:45.37 that’s been on the books for over 20 years.
For additional perspective, Southam would rank as the #2 American 17-18-year-old boy of all time, with his new PB sitting only behind Michael Phelps‘ age record of 1:45.99.
Southam’s 1:46.24 now ranks him 11th in the world on the season.
2022-2023 LCM Men 200 Free
Richards
1:44.30
| 2 | Thomas Dean | GBR | 1:44.32 | 07/25 |
| 3 | Sunwoo Hwang | KOR | 1:44.41 | 07/25 |
| 4 | Pan Zhanle | CHN | 1:44.65 | 05/04 |
| 5 | David Popovici | ROU | 1:44.70 | 07/24 |
| 6 | Lukas Martens | GER | 1:44.79 | 07/28 |
| 7 | Luke Hobson | USA | 1:44.87 | 07/24 |
| 8 | Katsuhiro Matsumoto | JPN | 1:44.98 | 04/05 |
| 9 | Duncan Scott | GBR | 1:45.42 | 07/28 |
| 10 | Kieran Smith | USA | 1:45.63 | 06/28 |
| 11 | Carson Foster | USA | 1:45.64 | 06/28 |
| 12 | Martin Malutyn | RUS | 1:45.67 | 07/25 |
| 12 | Drew Kibler | USA | 1:45.67 | 06/28 |
| 14 | Ivan Girev | RUS | 1:45.79 | 07/25 |
| 15 | Danas Rapsys | LTU | 1:45.69 | 04/14 |
Also making waves tonight was 16-year-old Marcus Da Silva of Cranbrook.
The athlete completed his trifecta of freestyle wins, taking the 200m free for his age in 1:50.48. That represents the 2nd fastest time of the young man’s career, with his PB remaining at 1:50.20 from the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
Carlile’s Olivia Wunsch earned another victory, this time winning the 50m fly. The 16-year-old produced a super quick time of 26.94 to get under the 27-second threshold for the first time in her career.
Also getting under 27 seconds in the same event for 15-year-olds was Olivia Hine. The Somerville House teen scorched a winning result of 26.97, crushing her previous career-fastest of 27.38 from just last month.
14-year-old Lillie McPherson of Manly collected her 5th gold medal of these championships, courtesy of her 200m IM performance.
McPherson clocked a time of 2:19.64 to add the 2IM win to her previous victories in the 50m/100m fly and 50m/100m free. Her result represents a huge lifetime best, easily overtaking her previous PB of 2:22.97 logged last December.
Also snagging a 5th victory here was Luke Higgs of Warringah. After already claiming the top prize across the 200m/400m/1500m free and 400m IM, the 14-year-old topped the 200m IM race in 2:12.09.
16-year-old Jaclyn Barclay ripped a winning effort of 59.81 in the girls’ 100m back to get under the minute threshold for the first time ever.
The St. Peters Western budding star opened in 29.06 and closed in 30.75 to begin approaching Emily Seebohm‘s age record of 59.33.
Additional Winners
- 16-year-old Hannah Casey topped the girls’ 200m free for her age in 1:59.11, the only sub-2:00 time of the field.
- Lachlan Davies topped the boys’ 14-year-old 100m free race in a time of 53.16, knocking nearly half a second off of his previous lifetime best.
- Darwin’s Macey Sheridan clocked a time of 58.05 in the girls’ 13-year-old 100m free to earn her 6th gold of these championships.
Some fast splits from breaststroke boys:
28.06 Burnes
27.67 Buckingham
28.13 Stoupas – almost a second drop !
Surprising 24.91 from Czajko too.
Trotter beating a bloke 1 year older, SPW have got their sprint back sorted. Underwaters really are free time, even in LCM there is no reason not to train for 15m each lap if doing 200m or less.
Also holy crap, Wunsch really toughed it out there, she reminds me of McKeon, 24.22 with that RT lines up to a 24.75 or so, she rose to the challenge. She has risen to the top female age grouper in my mind, that might just be the swim of the meet, holding off a year older guy with only a small lead is crazy.
It’s been great again people….See yah soon
4 x 40m on the screen…lol
I think Wunsch just split 24.22 ! to hold off the QLD boy on anchor.
I have to wait til later this year for Wunsch in the open company
I assume she’ll go to trials? Even though it sounds like the junior team is selected based on age champs rather than trials?
Wunsch OMG
What a racer! 🔥
I hope she continues on this trajectory, mainly just so I can keep repeating the “Wunsch time” pun
St Peters club champions. Big surprise. Hurry up I just wanna see the relays.
Over 2x next place, the next 4 are NSW clubs, so the age group scene is still healthy here. I think NSW vs QLD in gold medals is quite close.
How long until Macey Sheridan is at SP Western??
Jesse Coleman 18 Boys 100 Fly age record! First individual age record of the meet!
Here you go Sub……Pick our best 4 x 100m IM relay team for age
Mixed
It’s gotta be Barclay Burnes in the front half and then either Boyd Southam or Robb Wunsch on the back half.
You mean for Junior Worlds?
Based purely on the results of this meet:
Jaclyn Barclay (59.81)
Haig Buckingham (1:02.40)
Jesse Coleman (52.04)
Olivia Wunsch (54.05)
Would be the fastest combo I would think.
But I don’t actually know which of the boys are still “juniors” (no idea when the 18 year olds turn 19) so it’s possible they aren’t eligible.
Buckingham and Coleman are turning 19 otherwise that’d be easily the best team.
Just the potential of that group is amazing
anyone know how long wunsch (and co) still have left to get o’callaghans 100 free age record?
Casey and Wunsch age up very soon so only Jansen can realisitically get it because she ages up towards the end of the year.