2019 Vic Open Doubles As Para Swimming World Series

2019 VICTORIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Friday, February 15th – Sunday, February 17th
  • Melbourne Sports Aquatic Center (MSAC)
  • LCM
  • Prelims 9am local/Finals 6pm local
  • Meet Central
  • Psych Sheets

The 2019 Victorian Open Championships begins on Friday, but is missing several of the big-time names that competed at this same competition last year. In 2018, we saw the likes of Emily Seebohm, Maddie Groves, James Magnussen, Kyle Chalmers and Jack Cartwright take to the MSAC pool in preparation for the Commonwealth Games Trials several weeks later.

This time around, the field is much slimmer, perhaps due to the additional racing opportunities presenting themselves in the form of the FINA Champions Series, as well as the fact that athletes may be saving their swims for April’s National Championships. Regardless, spectators will still be treated to Cameron McEvoy, Mack Horton, Jessica Hansen, Kotuku Ngawati, Sian Whitaker and Sophie Caldwell over the course of the 3-day meet.

Foreign talent making its way to Melbourne includes Malaysian National Record holder Welson Sim and New Zealand standout Helena Gasson.

Unique to the 2019 edition of the Victorian Open Championships is the fact that it is incorporating the Melbourne 2019 World Para Swimming World Series. This is the first World Series event ever held in the Oceania region and brings the total number of swimming events to 64. Multi-class aces Rowan Crothers and Lakeisha Patterson are just 2 of the para swimming stars ready to take to the MSAC stage this weekend.

In This Story

34
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

34 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mark
5 years ago

Nikki
After reading your comments I think you know more than your claiming, your daughters clawed hand and exaggerated limp are the subject of much discussion on this page.
To find that she has now been classified to S9 must be hitting the financial purse strings now as she is no longer the great S8 hope for Tokyo.

So Ms Patterson the fake early onset of Parkinson’s and the claims of CP are well documented.

Maree
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

It’s really sad that she has to use the name of another Australian parent. And then try and drag her daughter into her comments. Also would be curious to know about Elliott’s so called possy.

Christian
Reply to  Maree
5 years ago

Maree, I believe there is video evidence which was passed on to the IPC. It is footage of LP leaving the 2018 Queensland State Swimming Championships. She was walking carrying a bag in her (infamous left hand) while talking on her mobile phone with her right hand, it is noted that her exaggerated limp and wobble that she performs in front of the public and the media at swimming championships, was less obvious. I am left to belief that the media, and especially the British media, have now got copies of this footage!!!

Maree
Reply to  Christian
5 years ago

Christian, I was talking about Patterson using the name of another Australian parent and then Bringing Elliott into it regarding ‘her possy’.

Christian
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Brilliantly stated Mark, I sincerely hope that fate and karma never let the cheat and fraud to ever prosper again!!!

oompah
5 years ago

Meanwhile one of the greatest Paralympians of all time Sophie Pascoe is reclassified S9. The Aussies are too busy tearing strips of each other to notice.

99LuftBallons
Reply to  oompah
5 years ago

Well she’s not an S8 or Aussie, so she’ll slip under Mark’s radar.
Maybe an aggrieved S9 parent will pop up and take command of the doxxing and other carry on in his place.

Fred
Reply to  99LuftBallons
5 years ago

I am not a swimming parent, S9 or otherwise, but I am certainly “aggrieved” that Patterson is anything other than IM/ NE.

Nikki
Reply to  Fred
5 years ago

On ya FRED tell us all how you are Privvy to all Para medical Docs. Yes….Must drive you NUTS not knowing and having to speculate NE thank goodness we are in another sport with attackers like you out there

Christian
Reply to  Fred
5 years ago

Brilliantly stated FRED!!!

Nikki
Reply to  99LuftBallons
5 years ago

Like Elliot s possy 🤣

Sarah
Reply to  Nikki
5 years ago

Im confused. What do you mean?

Mark
Reply to  99LuftBallons
5 years ago

If that was aimed at me then let’s get some facts straight
1 Patterson is a genuine fraud with photographic and video evidence to back up that claim. Most supplied by teammates to my e mail account.
2. Having been threatened by the IPC, British Swimming and the British Para committee with legal action over a recording I secretly did during my daughters classification conducted by a Kiwi and Japanese team.
The kiwi lied and dismissed written medical evidence from one of Europe top orthopaedic surgeons.
3. I have contacted Patterson’s mother and sent her photos showing her daughters hand unclenched she posted I was a bitter parent.
4. GB have bigger issues over their… Read more »

Nikki
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Get some sleep Mark!. No one cares about what you have to dribble!. Not even IPC. Bullying Athletes is NOT OK. You’ve been cautioned how many times now. Look after your own athlete!, now there’s an idea!

Christian
5 years ago

2019 Australian Para-swimming team international classifications.
Wow bombshells galore!!!

Firstly, Rowan Bright an S7 swimmer who represented Australia at both the Commonwealth games and the Para Pan Pacific games as just been classed out of S7 Para-swimming for being .8 of a cm too tall. Bright also won nine medals at 2015 World Dwarf Games, Bright suffers from short stature called hypochondroplasia.

Secondly, one of the big news stories, former S14 and then S10 swimmer, Paige Leonhardt, has just been classed out of the S10 category and issued with a Not Eligible notice. Furthermore, Para Swimming Australia are NOT going to appeal the Leonhardt classification decision. Leonhardt represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, the 2017 World Championships,… Read more »

Christian
Reply to  Christian
5 years ago

I really feel sorry for the USA’s genuine S7 para-swimmers both McKenzie Coan and Julia Gaffney. The IPC needs to urgently investigate this truly and disturbing matter, before this unlawful individual, decimates the international female S7 para-swimming category!!!

99LuftBallons
Reply to  Christian
5 years ago

Results says Jones was S7 for the heat and S8 for the final.
Looks like she has been classed up to S8 during the ‘observation during competition’ part of classification.
http://liveresults.swimming.org.au/vic/18-19/VOPENC19/

Not really such a bombshell after all. She effectively remains an S8 and hasn’t decimated the world with either her S7 heat or S8 final performance.

99LuftBallons
Reply to  Christian
5 years ago

Bright gets classed NE because he was too tall for his classification by half a haircut. Rules are rules.
Can we please move on from the ‘athlete SUFFERS from condition’ garbage.
What they really suffer from is ignorant people who should know better.

Patterson moving from S8 to S9 was a widely predicted result. Not really a bombshell unless you’d convinced yourself she was going to be classed NE.

Leonhardt going from S10 to NE. Also not a bombshell. Will probably return to S14 if she wants, and if eligible.

Jones was returned to S8 after being observed by a classifier during her first swim in competition.

All of this classification could, and should, have happened over a… Read more »

Nikki
Reply to  99LuftBallons
5 years ago

What happened with Elliot’s Stella Audition for a S9??

oompah
Reply to  99LuftBallons
5 years ago

Do you think the Commonwealth Games S8 50free Silver medalist or the SB9 100breastroke Bronze medalist and their coaches also ‘predicted’ these classification changes? I understand some of your points but think you are far too dismissive of the real cost of these classification shenanigans and that is to the athletes (on both sides of the classification coin), their coaches and those who fund them. In more swings and roundabouts, Sophie Pascoe appears to be competing as S10 again. Good to see this topic discussed openly and not kept underwraps in the dark though.

Nikki
Reply to  99LuftBallons
5 years ago

So 99 you are obviously another disgruntled Aust Parent seeking personal info on a classification!. You people are SO SICK. This is what your life has come to Bullying Athletes. Shame on you following Mark and Franks lead. Why not be different and mind your own business and consentrate on your own Athlete!

Oompah
Reply to  Nikki
5 years ago

I would’t necessarily assume that everyone commenting is Australian. My interest is piqued. Why would it matter to Para-athletes if the medical documentation required for their classification is deemed non-confidential? It forms part of their resume after all – and everything on a resume can, and should, be validated. Why would they even care when their ‘disability’ is on view globally anyway, no disrespect meant.

Fred
Reply to  Oompah
5 years ago

Couldn’t agree more Oompah. What is the point of the secrecy? These people are declaring to the world that they have a disability and usually have the nature of the impairment on their athlete bio and often on social media as well. Either the physical presentation aligns with this or in some cases it doesn’t. There should be nothing to hide.

Mark
Reply to  Nikki
5 years ago

Stop cheating and then we can look after genuine para swimmers , S9 not such a nice classification is it !!! How many protests did you lodge ?? Not looking good for Tokyo now is it and how long before Australia drop swimmers with no medal hopes.
Looks like the GB cheats will clear up in Tokyo so so glad my daughter has been talent spotted for another sport but saying that any genuine para athlete is happy to compete when it’s fair can your daughter say the same !!!
Pascoe S9 and your world collapses around you
Sherry Patterson grow up post under your own name and stop trying to tarnish another parent for your lack of integrity

Christian
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Once again brilliantly stated Mark!!!

Fred
Reply to  Nikki
5 years ago

If someone were to orchestrate to have their child strut around on the world stage claiming disabilities that they do not have, that would be SICK. That would not indicate love and support but use and abuse. This child would progress through life condemned to either continue the farce for the rest of their life, having to fake a limp etc presumably for many years to come, or else they would be faced with the prospect of having to explain to future friends/ partners/ children/ employers etc etc why the disability has disappeared and why they lived a lie on the world stage. Either way this person is destined for misery. This would be a complete failure in duty of… Read more »

Oompah
Reply to  Fred
5 years ago

Interesting. My first thought was MSP Fred, but I think the scenario as you have described it is simpler than that and driven by the oldest motivator – money.

Fred
Reply to  Oompah
5 years ago

Mainly probably, and possibly some sort of warped vicarious living through the child.

Christian
Reply to  Fred
5 years ago

FRED that definitely sounds like, the former S10 swimmers mother!!! An overwhelmingly amount of para-swimming athletes,coach’s and other parents think this mother suffers from Munchhausen’s disease by proxy!!!

Oompah
Reply to  Christian
5 years ago

Christian If, as you claim, an ‘overwhelming’ amount of coaches thought that this mother suffered from MSP, then where was/is the duty of care for the athlete from Australian Sport authorities?
Surely, statistically, they would have had to have been alerted of the potential abuse from an ‘overwhelming’ amount of previous coaches?

Christian
Reply to  Fred
5 years ago

Brilliantly stated FRED, it sounds like you are referring to the former Australian S10 swimmer???

Fred
Reply to  Christian
5 years ago

Just hypothetical Christian.

Sarah
Reply to  Fred
4 years ago

Exactly that Fred!!!! I would like to see someone explain why there is a multitude of photos on social media that show open hands in recent years to closed ones and videos that go from heel strike to toe walk. This does not make a lot of sense but the strangest thing is that Para Swimming have not acted on this information.

Yozhik
5 years ago

When will we see Ariarne Titmus competing in LCM? She is the only mystery of Australian swimming right now. After exceptionally successful 2018 season there is a question if she continues to progress at same pace this year.

About Retta Race

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.

Read More »