2015 Australian SC Championships Day 2 Prelims Recap

2015 Hancock Prospecting Australian Short Course Swimming Championships

• Wednesday, November 25th – women’s 1500m free/men’s 800m free
• Thursday, November 26th – Saturday, November 28th
• Prelims at 10am local (6pm previous day EST)/Finals at 6pm local (2am EST)
• Live Stream: Dolphins YouTube Channel
• Live Results
• Day 1 Distance Events Recap

Night 1 of the 2015 Australian Short Course Championships already saw one Australian and All-Comers record fall in the form of Jessica Ashwood’s remarkable 15:43.83 clocking in the women’s 1500m freestyle. Yet another thrilling finals session is shaping up from this morning’s prelims as well.

Aussie backstroking ace Mitch Larkin swam his first event of the competition, taking the top seed in the 50m backstroke in a time of 23.31, just .27 off of the Australian record. Look for that mark to go down in finals, as Larkin has been on-fire since winning two gold medals in Kazan, followed by a winning World Cup streak.

On the women’s side, backstroking maestro (and girlfriend to Larkin), Emily Seebohm also proved why she is the woman to beat in Rio, touching the wall in a speed 2:03.77 in the 200m backstroke. Last year’s title winner, Madi Wilson is right on her heels with the 2nd seed (2:05.06).

The sisters Campbell are also ready to set the pool on fire in the finals of the women’s 100m freestyle. In prelims, Cate came out on top with the swiftest time, a 51.77 to lead the field and clock the only sub-52 mark of the morning. Sister Bronte racked up the 3rd-fastest time of heats in 52.53, with 21-year-old Emma McKeon positioned in between as the 2nd seed with her mark of 52.39.

McKeon will swim a 2nd race in the finals session, as she qualified with the top seed of 25.78 in the women’s 50m butterfly. That time equals what the Chandler Swim Club swimmer had registered at last year’s championships to earn the event title.

Even with two-time World Champion, James Magnussen, and World Junior Champion Kyle Chalmers both absent from this meet, the men’s 100m freestyle race has a stacked field of competitors ready to take aim at the sprint title. Cameron McEvoy touched in 45.78 out of heats, a time which surpassed his 46.85 result from last year that was fast enough to earn the title. Immediately behind is Trinity Grammar athlete, Kenneth To, scoring a mark of 47.28 to flank McEvoy come the final.  Tommaso D’Orsogna also threw his hat in the title ring by swimming his way to the 3rd seed in a time of 47.75.

Finally, in the men’s 50m breaststroke, World Championships silver medalist Jake Packard registered a time of 27.13 to out-seed Olympian Christian Sprenger who touched just .02 behind in 27.15.