2023 Australian Age Champs: Olympia Pope (14) Cracks 1:10 in 100 Breast with 1:09.76

2023 AUSTRALIAN AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 7-15, 2023
• Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport, AUS
• LCM (50 meters)
• Championship Central
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Day 1+2 Recap

The 2023 Australian Age Championships began on Friday at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Southport, Queensland. The first two days of the meet (Friday and Saturday) featured only multi-class para swimming events, while the para events concluded on day three with the 50 freestyles and the non-para events began to be competed.

After winning five boys 12-13 para events on the first two days of the meet, 13-year-old Beau Matthews had one more in the tank, winning the 12-13 boys para 50 free on day three with a 28.05.

One of the top swims of day three came in the girls 14 100 breast, where Olympia Pope popped a sizzling 1:09.76 to win. While she was off the Australian Age Record for 14-year-old girls, which stands at 1:08.30 (Leisel Jones – 2000), it was an exceptional race for the youngster. Pope entered the meet with a career best of 1:11.09 and wasted no time, throwing down a 1:09.89 in prelims to take more than a second off her best time and skip over 1:10 entirely. She then doubled down in finals, taking another 0.13 seconds off her mark and swimming under 1:10 for the second time on the day and in her career.

Sienna Toohey had a huge swim for second in the girls 14 100 breast as well. Toohey came into the meet with a seed of 1:12.70 then took nearly a second off that mark in prelims, finishing third with a 1:11.91. She found another gear entirely in finals, however, blasting a 1:10.28 to take another 1.63 seconds off her prelims swim. Pope won the race on the first 50, where she got out to a very quick 32.72, which was 1.33 seconds faster than Toohey’s 34.05. Toohey was significantly faster coming home, splitting 36.23 on the second 50 to Pope’s 37.04. Given how Toohey split the race (34.05/36.23), defitinitely be sure to keep an eye out for her when the girls 14 200 breast rolls around later in the meet.

Another 14-year-old, Lachlan Davies, had a big swim in the boys 14 200 back, winning the event with a new career best of 2:07.81. Davies got out a speedy start, splitting 29.45 on the first 50 and 31.63 on the second 50, for a 1:01.08 on the opening 100. He fell off that second 50 pace a bit after that, coming home in 33.10 and 33.63 respectively on the final two 50s, which comes out to 1:06.73 on the second 100. Given his initial speed in the 200, keep an eye on Davies in the boys 14 100 back and 50 back later in the meet.

The girls 15 100 free saw a great race, where Sylvia Czajko managed to get her hand on the wall first in 56.26. Zoe Ammundsen was out the fastest, splitting 26.95 on the first 50, which was a tick ahead of Czajko (27.00). Czajko came home faster, splitting 29.26 on the second 50 to Ammundsen’s 29.55. Ammundsen actually came in second, however, as Ainsley Trotter ran her down, and nearly caught Czajko as well, on the final 50. Trotter was out in 27.34, but put together a speedy 28.99 on the second 50, tearing into the finish in 56.33, just 0.07 seconds behind Czajko. Ammundsen touched in 56.50 for third. Also of note, the performances marked career bests for all three swimmers.

Gideon Burnes put on a show in the boys 17 100 breast, posting a 1:02.40 to win the event handily. Coming into the meet with a seed of 1:03.97, Burnes’ swim last night was huge, taking 1.57 seconds off his best.

Marcus Da Silva clocked a personal best in the boys 16 100 free, swimming a 50.05 to win the race. He chipped 0.16 seconds off his seed time of 50.21 with the swim, inching ever closer to getting under the 50-second barrier.

DAY 3 EVENT WINNERS

• Girls Para 12-13 Multi-Class 50 Free: Lilly-Anne Gould (HELEN) – 31.96
• Girls Para 14-15 Multi-Class 50 Free: Montana Atkinson (HELEN) – 29.81
• Girls Para 16-18 Multi-Class 50 Free: Kael Thompson (SCGS) – 28.50
• Boys Para 12-13 Multi-Class 50 Free: Beau Matthews (SLCA) – 28.05
• Boys Para 14-15 Multi-Class 50 Free: Declan Budd (KPSC) – 25.94
• Boys Para 16-18 Multi-Class 50 Free: Alexander Tuckfield (SSST) – 25.89
• Girls 13 200 Back: Macey Sheridan (DAR) – 2:19.70
• Boys 14 200 Back: Lachlan Davies (WASC) – 2:07.81
• Girls 15 100 Free: Sylvia Czajko (UWSC) – 56.26
• Boys 16 100 Free: Marcus Da Silva (CRAN) – 50.05
• Girls 16 400 Free: Taryn Roberts (ROCKC) – 4:15.98
• Boys 17 400 Free: Anders McAlpine (CHAND) – 3:52.50
• Girls 17 200 Breast: Mia Feltham (GUSC) – 2:31.71
• Boys 18 200 Breast: Harrison Biddell (MARI) – 2:14.83
• Girls 14 100 Breast: Olympia Pope (MIAMI) – 1:09.76
• Boys 15 100 Breast: Thomas Sutherland (PROP) – 1:04.27
• Girls 13 100 Fly: Brydee Reid (SCGS) – 1:04.71
• Boys 14 100 Fly: Kayden Gibson (GLASO) – 57.38
• Girls 15 200 IM: Indianna Cameron (STPET) – 2:20.03
• Boys 15 200 IM: Samuel Higgs (WASC) – 2:05.39
• Girls 16 100 Breast: Audrey Dearling (BGRAM) – 1:11.95
• Boys 17 100 Breast: Gideon Burnes (BOND) – 1:02.40
• Girls 17 400 Free: Amelia Weber (STPET) – 4:13.64
• Boys 18 400 Free: Benjamin Goedemans (STPET) – 3:52.34
• Girls 13 800 Free: Olivia Galea (STPET) – 9:19.59
• Girls 14 800 Free: Ava Gaske (CHAND) – 8:58.11
• Boys 14 1500 Free: Luke Higgs (WASC) – 16:14.82
• Boys 15 1500 Free: Lucas Fackerell (BRW) – 16:14.23