2019 Aussie World Trials: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2019 AUSTRALIAN WORLD SWIMMING TRIALS

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – PRELIMS

25-year-old Emma McKeon has already qualified for next month’s World Championships via her 100m fly win on night 1, and now the Olympian looks primed to add this 200m free to her lineup.

Hitting the wall in a stellar prelims time of 1:56.76, the Olympic bronze medalist in this event represented the only sub-1:57 swimmer of the field this morning, with St. Peters Western’s Shayna Jack the next in line in 1:57.50.

McKeon finished with the silver at April’s National Championships, clocking a time of 1:56.00 there, her fastest of the season and the 4th fastest time in the world. Taking the gold at Nationals was Ariarne Titmus, the 18-year-old who lowered her own 400m free National and Commonwealth Record with a mighty 3:59.53 on night 1 of these Trials.

Titmus was the title winner in this 200m free in April with a time of 1:54.30, setting a new Aussie Record and world #1 time in Adelaide. This morning the St. Peters Western star laid low, taking the 5th seed in 1:58.26.

The women are not only vying for individual slots for Gwangju, but also the all-important relay positions to improve their bronze medal standing from the 2017 World Championships. A minimum time of 1:56.34 is what it will take for individual qualification, a mark at least half of the finalists have come past or at least very near in their careers.

In fact, 4 of the women who made tonight’s final appear on the Aussie all-time performers list in this 200m freestyle. Below is the list.

All-Time Aussie 200m Free Performers:

1:54.30 Ariarne Titmus 2000 Adelaide 09.04.19
1:54.83 Emma McKeon 1994 Adelaide 10.04.16
1:55.25 Bronte Barratt 1989 Rio 09.08.16
1:55.73 Kylie Palmer 1990 Sydney 04.04.11
1:56.60r Stephanie Rice 1988 Beijing 14.08.08
1:56.73 Melanie Schlanger 1986 Adelaide 18.03.12
1:56.77r Shayna Jack 1998 Adelaide 10.04.19
1:56.79 Brittany Elmslie 1994 Brisbane 13.12.14
1:56.99 Linda Mackenzie 1983 Sydney 25.03.08
1:56.90 Madison Wilson 1994 Adelaide 09.04.19

MEN’S 200 FLY – PRELIMS

  • Australian National Record – 1:54.46, Nick D’Arcy, 2009
  • Worlds QT – 1:55.58
  • Top 8:
    1. Grant Irvine, 1:57.50
    2. Nic Brown, 1:57.56
    3. David Morgan, 1:58.55
    4. Bowen Gough, 1:59.28
    5. Matthew Temple, 1:59.31
    6. Charles Cox,  1:59.47
    7. Edward Marks, 2:02.04
    8. Lucas Humeniuk, 2:04.38

The Australians are in desperate need of a men’s 200 flyer, with just a 2:04.38 making the top 8 at the Australian World Trials. Nevertheless, Olympians Grant Irvine and David Morgan will attempt to answer the call, with the former sitting as the top swimmer of the morning in 1:57.50.

Morgan’s PB is the 1:55.63 he notched at the 2016 Olympic Trials, meaning the 25-year-old will need to hit a lifetime best to qualify for Gwangju. His quickest in the past 18 months was the 1:56.36 he put up on the Gold Coast for Commonwealth Games silver.

The same stiff qualification challenge holds true for Irvine as the 28-year-old UWSC veteran’s lifetime fastest rests at the 1:55.32 he nailed way back in 2013. Irvine notched a time of 1:56.91 for 4th behind his Aussie teammate at Commonwealths.

Irvine’s fellow Western Australianer Nic Brown made it easily into the final as the 2nd seed in 1:57.56, while 17-year-old Chandler emerging athlete Lucas Numenik sneaked in with the aforementioned 2:04.38. He’s seeking to break the 2-minute barrier for the first time in his young career, holding a PB of 2:00.90.

As for Brown, he nailed the Aussie National title last April in a mark of 1:56.50, his fastest ever by over half a second. Bowen Gough, this morning’s 4th fastest swimmer, was runner-up to Brown in 1:56.73, a new lifetime best by well over a second at Nationals.

Of note, Elijah Winnington was originally entered in this event, but wound up scratching. He fell short of qualifying in his favored 400m free and 200m free events and is no doubt saving energy for his 800m free and 100m free races yet to come.

The men’s 800m free will be included in the Day 3 Finals Recap.


											
										

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Boknows34
4 years ago

David Morgan books his ticket with a 200 fly QT of 1.55.26. Irvine just outside in 1.55.89

Sarah83
4 years ago

I really hope they aren’t bringing in Basil Zempilas for Worlds commentary. The announcers haven’t been too bad so far here.

Robbos
Reply to  Sarah83
4 years ago

YESSSS, Gian is not great, but Basil is just painful.

torchbearer
Reply to  Robbos
4 years ago

Giann is the worst…..except for the guy who did the Pan Pacs last year…

Verram
Reply to  Sarah83
4 years ago

Of course they are !! He’s the swimming guru of channel seven .. I’d take ray warren and Nicole Livingstone any day .. ian Thorpe wasn’t too bad

They’re trying out james Magnussen oh pooldeck commentating to which is interesting

commonwombat
Reply to  Verram
4 years ago

Livingstone was top quality. “Rabbits” Warren probably hasn’t drawn sober breath in 30 years and by the end of his on air career it was evident. Giann hasn’t been as bad as usual at this meet; maybe because she has had someone competent alongside her. Thorpe was fairly good, Liesel Jones was probably worse than Giann. Maggie’s first night on pool deck was a bit shaky but he’s been OK since and unlike Baz, he doesn’t need to babble incessantly ….. and make factual error after factual error

torchbearer
Reply to  commonwombat
4 years ago

I actually like Liesel, she is less of a cheerleader than Giaan. Giann has a limited vocabulary, which gets very repetitive.

Gymswim
Reply to  torchbearer
4 years ago

Giaan struggled for words tonight a lot, it’s very frustrating.

CMSWIM
Reply to  commonwombat
4 years ago

CommonWombat “end of career” – still commentates and broadcasts the NRL and has done for well longer than his swimming commentating. One of the best.

Sarah83
Reply to  Verram
4 years ago

Agreed! Rabs at least brought a bit of excitement, and Nicole of course was excellent. Basil is woeful, I’ve yet to come across another swimming fan that enjoys his bad commentating. Giaan hasn’t been too bad here and I don’t mind Kurt Hanson. I think Maggie has been ok so far too.

Joel
Reply to  Sarah83
4 years ago

Kurt is excellent. Have heard him at quite a few meets now . He’s not often incorrect . He’s Brooke’s brother too.

Troy
Reply to  Sarah83
4 years ago

I was happy when tennis moved away from Seven for this reason. Surely Seven is aware how much viewers don’t like Basil?

Old Man Chalmers
4 years ago

800 now… can horton finish in the top 2 under the QT?

Edit: answer is no. mack did 8:01 for third

Sarah83
4 years ago

McKeon 1:54.55 PB
Titmus: 1:55.09
Jack: 1:56.37
Throssell: 1:56.62
Wilson: 1:56.85

Emma looked great!

Troy
Reply to  Sarah83
4 years ago

Great relay potential. Titmus seemed a bit slow of the blocks.

Robbos
Reply to  Sarah83
4 years ago

That’s one hot relay.

Troy
4 years ago

Did Winnington scratch the 800 too because he’s not listed on the live results page?

Robbos
4 years ago

Was hoping to see Pallister get into the final with a chance to get into 4X200 relay team. However looks like she was aiming 400, 800 &1500.

Robbos
Reply to  Robbos
4 years ago

Same as Melverton, her 200 spilt in her 400 silver medal performance was 2.00.88, while her 200 swim today was 2.0048.

Dee
Reply to  Robbos
4 years ago

Melverton looks a proper distance lady, and that’s not *too* uncommon for them. Friis split 8.17.1 at 800 when she set her ER 1500. She went 8.16.2 in the individual 800 at the same meet. 4.05.2 at the 400 of her 800, her lifetime best was 4.03.9.

Robbos
Reply to  Dee
4 years ago

Thanks Dee, always respect your input.

Verram
4 years ago

Looking at the comparative times above .. if only the men in the 200 fly were swimming the same sort of times as the women in the 200m free

There was a time when the mens 200 fly Aussie record was faster than the women’s 200m free aussie record

Interesting comparison of the progress in both events

Robbos
Reply to  Verram
4 years ago

Australian men’s butterfly, poorest it’s been since I can remember, where is Mike, the Dallas coach telling us why.

Bdee
Reply to  Robbos
4 years ago

I mean we are trying our best

Andy
4 years ago

I think you misenterred Shayna Jack’s 200 free time

Troy
Reply to  Andy
4 years ago

Yeah it’s her seed time.

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Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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