2015 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships
- Dates: Friday, April 3 to Friday, April 10, 2015
- Times: prelims 10 am, semis/ finals 7 pm
- Location: Sydney Olympic Park (GMT +11, or 15 hours ahead of N.Y., 18 ahead of L.A.)
- Live Results: Available
- Championship Central
Day Six prelims of the 2015 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships is taking place in Sydney, and Swimming Australia is streaming the whole thing live on YouTube. The national championship is doubling as a selection meet for both the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, and the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
This is a prelims/semis/finals meet (with the exception of 400 meters and above, as well as IPC events); 16 make it back for semis, while only 8 compete in the final. Day Four’s prelims include women’s and men’s 100 free multi-class, men’s 50 free, women’s 50 fly, men’s 100 fly, women’s 200 back, and women’s 800 free.
Women 12&O 100 Freestyle Multi-Class Prelims
- Title Holder: 1:02.35 – 4/2/2014  Taylor Corry, Nelson Bay
Defending champion Taylor Corry (S14) of Nelson Bay had a terrific swim in the last heat of prelims, going 1:02.62 for 911 points, just after Jacqueline Freney (S7) of Richmond Valley had scored 910 points with 1:10.20. Maddison Elliott (S8) of NU Swim, who set a S8 world record in the 50m back in last night’s final, went 1:07.55 to qualify third with 904 points.
Other qualifiers for the final were: Ellie Cole (S9) of Castle Hill, who dropped 1.3 seconds to go through fourth; Lakeisha Patterson (S8) of Kawana Waters (1:08.61); Amy Cook (S14) of SLC Aquadot (1:06.35); Emily Beecroft (S9) of Traralgon (1:06.76); and Monique Murphy (S10) of Melbourne Vicentre, who dropped nearly 3 seconds to make it in at eighth by 1 point with 1:06.57.
Men 12&O 100 Freestyle Multi-Class Prelims
- Title Holder: 95 – 4/2/2014  Rowan Crothers, Yeronga Park
Daniel Fox (S14) of Chandler, who earned a gold medal in the 200 free last night and two silver medals over the last several days (50 fly and 100 back), scored 981 points with his 54.57 prelims swim in the 100 free multi-class. Joshua Alford (S14) of Tuggeranong Vikings posted the second qualifying time of 55.85 (915 points). Matthew Levy (S7) from Cranbrook scored 888 points with a personal-best 1:02.77 and qualified third.
Brenden Hall (S9) of Lawnton went 57.58 to qualify fourth; Andrew Pasterfield (S10) from Cranbrook went 54.12 to tie 16-year-old Braedan Jason (S13) from Alexandra Headlands, who went 54.32; both swimmers scored 830 points. Timothy Disken (S9) of PLC Aquatic qualified seventh with 58.71, and Rowan Crothers (S9) of Yeronga Park made it through at eighth with 54.83
Men 50 Freestyle Prelims
- Australian: 21.19 – 11/26/2009 Ashley Callus, North End
- Title Holder: 21.90 – 4/6/2014 Eamon Sullivan, WA
- FINA: 21.74
Cameron McEvoy from Palm Beach posted the fastest time of the morning with 22.38, a mere .08 ahead of top-seeded James Magnussen (22.46) of Ravenswood. Erik Van Dooren of Switzerland dropped 8/10 and qualified third for semi-finals with 22.62. Southport Olympic’s Blake Jones went 22.70 to make it through, just in front of Matthew Abood of Sydney University, who swam 22.77 in prelims. Jones’ teammate Luke Percy went 22.81 to tie Kenneth To of Trinity Grammar for sixth, and Tehaumi Maxwell from Sydney University rounded out the top eight with 22.82.
Thomas Meggitt of Sydney University dropped a big .8 to make it through 13th, and 16-year-old Kyle Chalmers of Marion marked the cutoff spot with his 23.17 for 16th.
Women 50 Butterfly Prelims
- Australian: 25.48 – 8/2/2009 Marieke Guehrer, Melb. Vicentre
- Title Holder: 26.20 – 4/4/2014 Marieke D’Cruz, SOPAC
Although this is not a selection event for the FINA World Championships, there was a good turnout for the women’s 50 fly. Brittany Elmslie of St Peters Western topped the field with 26.71, just ahead of top-seeded Emma McKeon of Chandler (26.80). Commercial teammates Sara-Jean Saal (26.89) and Jessica Reinhardt (26.95) both dropped time to break 27 and qualify third and fourth; Reinhardt tied with defending champion Marieke D’Cruz of SOPAC.
Going through sixth to semi-finals was 16-year-old Mikaela Cornelissen of Traralgon with 27.18. Jessica Hobbin of Southport Olympic dropped .15 and made it back seventh with 27.20. Melbourne H2O’s Nadine Jones improved her time by over 2/10 to come in eighth with 27.33.
15-year-old Gemma Cooney (27.50) of River City Rapids dropped .23 to make semis, while Libby Forbes (27.62 ) from Nunawading went a PB by .7 to go through at 12th. 15-year-old Rhiannon Carr (27.79) from KRB Aquatics improved her seed time by .3 and made it in at 15th, and Trinity Grammar’s Kaitlyn McCaw closed the door behind her, qualifying 16th with 27.90.
Men 100 Butterfly Prelims
- Australian: 50.85 – 18/1/2009 Andrew Lauterstein, SOPAC
- Title Holder: 52.16 – 4/5/2014 Christopher Wright, Southport Oly.
- FINA: 51.78
Jayden Hadler of Commercial led the field of qualifiers for the men’s 100 fly with 52.63. Ryan Pini from Papua New Guinea dropped 2.4 seconds to tie for second with David Morgan of TSS Aquatics, who dropped .3; both men swam 52.95. Tommy D’Orsogna from Commercial qualified fourth in 53.32, while Keiran Qaium from Sydney University went 53.36 for fifth. St Peters Western’s Grant Irvine, Nicholas Brown of Western Sprint, and James Justin of Mackay rounded out the first eight through to semi-finals.
Cameron Jones of St Peters Western went a PB by a half-second to qualify 11th. Shane Asbury of Nunawading also dropped time; his 54.99 in prelims put him through at 16th.
Women 200 Backstroke Prelims
- Australian: 2:06.06 – 7/29/2011 Belinda Hocking, Albury
- Title Holder: 2:07.52 – 4/4/2014 Belinda Hocking, Nunawading
- FINA: 2:09.84
Madison Wilson of St Peters Western, who has already picked up silver medals in both the 50 and 100 backstroke events at this meet, led the semi-final qualifiers with 2:10.80. Emily Seebohm of Brothers, the gold medalist in the 50 and 100 backstrokes, qualified second with 2:12.66. Third through was Mikkayla Sheridan, also of Brothers, in 2:12.80. Sydney University’s Hayley Abood, who is married to Matt Abood, went through fourth with 2:13.77.
Melbourne Vicentre’s Hayley Baker (2:14.30), Sian Whittaker (2:15.31), and Elyse Woods (2:16.80) and Cranbrook’s Monique Rae (2:15.62) also qualified top-eight.
It took 2:19.09 to make it back for semi-finals in the women’s 200 back.
Women 800 Freestyle Prelims
- Australian: 8:19.76 – 2/28/2014 Jessica Ashwood, SOPAC
- Title Holder: 8:22.51 – 4/5/2014 Jessica Ashwood, SOPAC
- FINA: 8:27.41
Twelve women swam for eight spots in the 800 free final. St Peters Western’s Katie Goldman was the fastest qualifier through with 8:36.06, followed in close succession by Kiah Melverton of TSS Aquatics (8:28.20) and defending champion Jessica Ashwood of Chandler (8:38.27). Melverton dropped 4.7 seconds to earn her spot.
Leah Neale of Indooroopilly was fourth in 8:39.49. Two 16-year-olds followed: Tasmin Cook of West Coast (8:43.71) and Chelsea Gubecka from Kawana Waters (8:44.03). Rounding out the top eight were Kareena Lee of Mountain Creek Mooloolaba (8:44.04) and Brianna Throssell of Perth City (8:48.90).
McEvoy has a good head on his shoulders as well
Whilst McEvoy IS highly intelligent, that does not necessarily equate to being a consistent swimmer. Looking at his international performances, he has yet to have his 100 AND 200 both at top level at the same meet. He also mirrors Magnussen in being an erratic relay performer; in McE’s case particularly in 4×200.
Philip, I’m not sure McEvoy’s versatility yet extends to being a top international class over 50FS. His current PB is 21.94; the qualification standard SAL has set for Kazan is 21.74 so he’s certainly going to have to pull a significant PB to be sure he swims it at Worlds.
I agree, his 50 free isn’t overly impressive. However, I think he has a lot of room for improvement. I don’t think he’ll go 21.7 at this meet, but maybe down the road.
McEvoy’s versatility leaves me in awe. He reminds me of the great Hoogenband.
precisely why he is my favorite swimmer!
I would object that Sarah Sjostrom deserves that comparison more than McEvoy (who remains a prodigy).
How about Libby Trickett?
WR holder in 50 and 100 free and top ranking in 200 free (in 2005 or 2006).
Sjoestrom is yet to break any free WR.
A great swimmer in her own right, but I at least was referring only to current swimmers.
I don’t think we will get to see the same person holding the 100 and 200 free WR again or winning the gold medal in the two events at the same Olympics. Swimming is too specialized today.
I hope someone proves me wrong though 🙂
It’s interesting that the folks in this thread talk about 50-200 range as ‘versatility’. I get it, but there’s a part of my psyche that is screaming out- ‘ha, 3 events? Wimp!’…
But this is probably why the USA is struggling to find elite sprinters. The idea is burned into our brains that versatility is swimming 9 events.
I think what the U.S. is also learning is that in 2015, you can’t be a 50 and 100 freestyler, and be anything else, and succeed. Heck, you almost can’t even be a 50 and 100 freestyler and plan to win a medal. Not quite, but almost.
We discussed that for a long time.. everybody said,, Mag can do it, then Adrian, then Cielo before and many many guys.. since the ban of the suits we haven´t seen Any swimmer being able to post amazing times on 50 and 100 free on the same competition at least on the men side… on the women side we still see Cate, Sjostrom, Kromowidjojo, but even on the girls side I think this situation will become rarer to be seen..
Not exactly. James Magnussen did 47.53 and 21.52 at the Aus trials in 2013. Both times would have medal (not won) in London
I know what you mean Hulk, the Phelps and Lochte effect kind of spoiled us, but we’re in a new era where event specialization wins. If anyone is good across three individual events in today’s world, that’s quite an accomplishment. I’m a huge fan of Hagino because of his gutsy schedule, but many of the posters are wary on his medal chances with so many events.
interesting debate … does it take more versatility to swim elite times in, for example, the 50 and 200 free or the 200 of two different strokes? probably still the latter, but not by far. I believe you have to factor in the competition. Most swimming nations have elite sprinters. Few have elite Imers.
Definitely the latter and if we’re going by that, there’re no one better than Hagino. Not only is he an elite 200 and 400 free swimmer, but also a medal threat in the 100 back, 200 back, and both IMs. I know this an unpopular position, but I hope he swims as many events as possible. We need a new generation Phelps-like swimmer!
I don’t know which one is more versatile (because I think it is subjective), but in the history of Olympics swimming, there are fewer male swimmer who won medals in 3 freestyle events than in 2 or more strokes in one olympics.
Here are the male swimmers that won medals in 2 or more strokes in one Olympics:
Mark Spits, Laszlo Cseh, Gary Hall Sr., Ryan Lochte (3 strokes), Michael Gross, Matt Biondi, Michael Phelps (3 strokes)
Here’s the swimmers that won medals in 3 freestyle events in one Olympics:
Matt Biondi, Daniel Kowalski, Pieter van den Hoogenband, Ian Thorpe