2023 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- April 17 – 20, 2023
- Marine Parade, Southport, Queensland
- Gold Coast Aquatic Centre
- Long Course Meters
- Meet Central
- Entry Sheets
- Prelims at 10 a.m. AEST / 8 p.m. EST; finals at 6 p.m. AEST / 4 a.m. EST
- Preview
- Day 1 Finals Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap/Day 3 Finals Recap
- Live Results
MEN’S 100 FREE FINALS
- World Record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU), 2022
- World Junior Record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU), 2022
- Australian Record: 47.04 – Cameron McEvoy, 2016
- Commonwealth Record: 47.04 – Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2016
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 48.51
Top 10:
- Kyle Chalmers – 48.00
- Kai Taylor – 48.41
- Flynn Southam – 48.53
- Josh Salchow (GER) – 48.63
- William Yang – 48.71
- Jack Cartwright – 49.35
- Tommy Neill – 49.67
- Cameron Bladen – 49.96
- Alexander Graham – 49.96
- Maximillian Giuliani -50.33
Our first event of the final session of these Australian National Championships saw 24-year-old Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers get to the wall first in the men’s 100m free.
Clocking a time of 48.00 Chalmers beat out 19-year-old Kai Taylor of St. Peters Western who touched in 48.41 while 17-year-old Flynn Southam also landed on the podium in 48.53.
Chalmers split 23.25/24.75 to get the job done in a solid season-best, shaving .09 off the 48.09 he logged last month at the New South Wales Championships. The 24-year-old Marion swimmer now ties Great Britain’s Duncan Scott as the 10th fastest performer in the world on the season.
As for Taylor, the teen just fired off the fastest time of his career to hit only his 2nd sub-49 second result ever. Entering this meet, Taylor’s PB rested at the 48.92 logged last month he hacked half a second off that outing to snag silver in 48.41.
Southam’s 48.53 beat his 48.91 put up at the Aussie Age Championships just last week.
Of note in the B-Final, Canada’s Finlay Knox topped the field in 49.97, Elijah Winnington posted 50.06 and Cody Simpson was 50.25.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINALS
- World Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 2009
- World Junior Record: 1:53.91 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
- Australian Record: 1:53.09 – Ariarne Titmus, 2021
- Commonwealth Record: 1:52.09 – Ariarne Titmus, 2021
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 1:58.66
Top 10:
- Mollie O’Callaghan – 1:55.15
- Ariarne Titmus– 1:55.28
- Shayna Jack -1:55.37
- Kaylee McKeown – 1:56.88
- Brianna Throssell – 1:57.22
- Madi Wilson- 1:57.72
- Lani Pallister – 1:58.13
- Eve Thomas (NZL) – 1:59.13
- Jenna Forrester – 2:00.06
- Meg Harris – 2:00.16
19-year-old Olympic medalist Mollie O’Callaghan took out tonight’s 200m free with a super quick 55.88 opener before backing off in the final stretch in 59.27. The teen ultimately got to the wall in 1:55.15, with national record holder Ariarne Titmus also under the 1:56-threshold in 1:55.28.
O’Callaghan was already ranked 3rd in the world on the season in 1:55.27 from last month, so she remains in that slot while Titmus is now ranked 4th in the world.
2022-2023 LCM Women 200 Free
O'Callaghan
1:52.85 WR
| 2 | Ariarne Titmus | AUS | 1:53.01 | 07/26 |
| 3 | Summer McIntosh | CAN | 1:53.65 WJR | 07/26 |
| 4 | Siobhan Haughey | HKG | 1:53.96 | 07/26 |
| 5 | Katie Ledecky | USA | 1:54.96 | 03/02 |
St. Peters Western teammate Shayna Jack ripped a huge personal best en route to 3rd, grabbing bronze in 1:55.37. Entering this meet, Jack’s PB sat at the 1:56.37 she produced in 2019, so the Dean Boxall-trained athlete just obliterated that by a full second.
Backstroke World Record holder Kaylee McKeown also just notched a monster personal best, wrecking her previous career-quickest time of 1:57.76 from 3 years ago. McKeown collected 4th place this evening 1:56.88 for her first time ever under 1:57, giving her a nod for a potential women’s 4x200m free relay, as if the 21-year-old doesn’t already have enough events as a testament to her versatility.
The B-Final winner, 18-year-old Jamie Perkins of St. Peters Western, clocked 1:59.44, a time which would have placed 9th in the A-Final.
MEN’S 400 IM FINALS
- World Record: 4:03.84 – Michael Phelps (USA), 2004
- World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilya Borodin (RUS), 2021
- Australian Record: 4:09.27 – Brendon Smith, 2021
- Commonwealth Record: 4:08.70 – Lewis Clareburt, 2022
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 4:17.48
Top 10:
- Brendon Smith – 4:16.37
- Se-Bom Lee – 4:16.73
- William Petric – 4:17.85
- Thomas Hauck – 4:20.53
- Elliot Rogerson – 4:23.22
- Marco Soesanto – 4:24.48
- Joshua Staples – 4:25.75
- Thomas Lightfoot – 4:29.56
- Robbie Dilissen – 4:36.97
- Adriano Todoro – 4:37.15
Olympic teammates Brendan Smith and Se-Bom Lee finished 1-2 in this men’s 400m IM, with the former touching in 4:16.37 to the latter’s 4:16.73.
Smith, who took Olympic bronze in this event in Tokyo, owns a lifetime best of 4:09.27 from that race while Lee’s PB rests at the 4:14.16 from the Aussie Trials that year.
18-year-old William Petric was the only other swimmer to delve into sub-4:20 territory in tonight’s race, putting up 4:17.85 for bronze. That knocked a good chunk of time of his previous personal best of 4:18.71 from the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships where he took 200m IM bronze.
The men needed to be in the 4:15-zone to crack into the list of top 20 performers on the season.
MEN’S 50 BREAST FINALS
- World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
- World Junior Record: 26.97 – Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 2017
- Australian Record: 26.74 – Christian Sprenger, 2014
- Commonwealth Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 27.33
Top 10:
- Sam Williamson – 27.48
- Josh Yong – 27.84
- Joshua Collett -28.06
- Nash Wilkes – 28.14
- Grayson Bell – 28.28
- Calvin Reed – 28.37
- Cameron Jordan – 28.45
- Zac Stubblety-Cook – 28.47
- Bailey Lello – 28.64
- James McKechnie – 29.05
Nothing too head-turning took place in the men’s 50m breast race which saw Sam Williamson grab gold in a time of 27.48, tying the 6th fastest result of his career.
That gave the 24-year-old Melbourne Vicentre swimmer a healthy advantage over Josh Yong who also got under 28 seconds in 27.84.
Joshua Collett of Bond was next in line in 28.06 to bag bronze. 200m breast World Record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook was also in the race, placing 8th in 28.47.
MEN’S 200 FLY FINALS
- World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
- World Junior Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2017
- Australian Record: 1:54.46 – Nick D’Arcy, 2009
- Commonwealth Record: 1:52.96 – Chad Le Clos (RSA), 2012
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 1:56.71
Top 10:
- Matt Temple – 1:56.26
- Ruan Van Der Riet – 1:59.22
- Bowen Gough – 1:59.42
- Jesse Coleman – 1:59.99
- Alex Fahey – 2:00.36
- David Morgan – 2:01.31
- Caio Gallo – 2:01.49
- Lucas Humeniuk – 2:02.14
- Reece Caddy – 2:02.34
- Tristan Bullen – 2:02.55
Olympian Matt Temple defeated this men’s 200m fly final handily, stopping the clock in a time of 1:56.26. Opening in 55.93 and closing in 1:01.03, 23-year-old Temple of Marion put up his best performance in nearly 2 years.
Temple owns a lifetime best of 1:55.25 from the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials but last year was just 2:00.08 so his return to the 1:56 zone is promising at this non-selection meet.
He now ranks 20th in the world in this 2fly race.
WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINALS
- World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
- World Junior Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (USA), 2019
- Australian Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, 2023
- Commonwealth Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 2:11.08
Top 10:
- Jaclyn Barclay – 2:11.50
- Hannah Fredericks – 2:11.72
- Jenna Forrester – 2:11.95
- Alyssa Burgess – 2:12.47
- Olivia Lefoe – 2:13.43
- Xiandi Chua (PHI) – 2:14.96
- Meg Senior – 2:16.69
- Iona Anderson – 2:17.07
- Alannah Banks – 2:17.87
- Alice Campbell – 2:18.44
The field was relatively wide open without World Record holder Kaylee McKeown taking on her pet event of the 200m back.
In her stead, it was 16-year-old Jaclyn Barclay who took the gold with the teen producing a new lifetime best of 2:11.50 in the process.
Barclay out-touched Hannah Fredericks who notched 2:11.72 for silver while Jenna Forrester rounded out the top 3 in 2:11.95.
For Barclay, her result this evening easily overtook her previous personal best of 2:12.84 posted at the 2022 Australian Age Championships. And for Forrester, this race represented her 2nd final of the evening, following up on her 200m free.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY FINALS
- World Record: 55.48 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016
- World Junior Record: 56.43 – Claire Curzan (USA), 2021
- Australian Record: 55.72 – Emma McKeon, 2021
- Commonwealth Record: 55.59 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2021
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 58.33
Top 10:
- Brianna Throssell – 57.57
- Alexandria Perkins – 57.64
- Kayla Costa – 59.37
- Jenna Forrester – 59.45
- Lily Price – 59.64
- Elizabeth Dekkers – 59.68
- Brittany Castelluzzzo – 59.87
- Gemma Cooney – 1:00.34
- Laura Taylor – 1:01.10
- Gabriella Peiniger – 1:01.28.
Olympian Brianna Throssell clinched the gold in this women’s 1fly, registering a time of 57.57. That checks in as the 10th fastest performance of her career, one which boasts a lifetime best of 57.02 from the 2019 World Championships.
Runner-up tonight was USC’s Alexandria Perkins who produced an outing off 57.64, her first-ever time under 58 seconds. Entering this race, the 22-year-old’s career-quickest rested at the 58.39 scored at this same meet last year.
The pair now respectively rank 8th and 9th in the world this season.
2022-2023 LCM Women 100 Fly
Yufei
56.12
| 2 | Torri Huske | USA | 56.18 | 06/29 |
| 3 | Gretchen Walsh | USA | 56.34 | 06/29 |
| 4 | Kate Douglass | USA | 56.43 | 06/29 |
| 5 | Maggie MacNeil | CAN | 56.45 | 07/24 |
| 6 | Regan Smith | USA | 56.60 | 03/04 |
| 7 | Claire Curzan | USA | 56.61 | 06/29 |
| 8 | Emma McKeon | AUS | 56.74 | 06/13 |
| 9 | Lana Pudar | BIH | 56.95 | 07/06 |
| 10 | Louise Hansson | SWE | 57.00 | 04/14 |
Of note, Jenna Forrester completed her 3rd final of the night, hitting 59.45 for 4th place.
WOMEN’S 1500 FREE FINALS
- World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
- World Junior Record: 15:28.36 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2014
- Australian Record: 15:46.13 – Maddy Gough, 2021
- Commonwealth Record: 15:40.14 – Lauren Boyle (NZL), 2015
- 2023 Worlds ‘A’ Cut: 16:29.57
Top 10:
- Maddy Gough – 16:08.76
- Tiana Kritzinger – 16:33.96
- Chelsea Gubecka – 16:34.14
- Georgie Roper – 16:38.58
- Jacinta Essam – 16:51.44
- Jessica Mouatt – 16:54.50
- Tayla Martin – 16:56.24
- Jessica Lavin – 17:13.11
- Finella Gibbs-Beal – 17:19.67
- Kirralee Shepherd – 17:31.03
National record holder Maddy Gough posted a time of 16:08.76 with Tiana Kritzinger logging 16:33.96 for silver. Chelsea Gubecka also landed on the podium in 16:34.14 for bronze.
Of note, Lani Pallister was entered in this event but wound up not swimming the race.
As a reminder, both Gough and Gubecka have already been named to Australia’s open water squad for this summer’s World Championships.
Well that was a fun meet. Can’t wait for Aussie Trials in a couple of months!
A comment under a post by Kai Taylor on IG:
Lol and Kai liked it!! Do the swimmers know what goes on in the comments here?
This actually made me cackle.
EDIT: The guy who commented was on the SPW training camp but doesn’t appear to be a swimmer. Staff member? I guess this means someone at SPW reads the SwimSwam comments lol
Too real! lol
If these comments do one thing, it gives those actually involved in high performance programs a good laugh.
We are all probably a fair way off the mark.
We’re also working with very incomplete information and having to guess and read between the lines a lot of the time. That’s why I use a lot of “it seems”, “maybe”, “perhaps” because I’m really unsure most of the time hah.
Deleted
Uhhh wrong link I think.
The image is showing fine for me.
Me too
I love my relays, a bit of a Kyle Chalmers in me. Very excited about our swims here in regards to the relays.
Men 4×100 free, we have King Kyle, he is the best relay swimmer in the world, a couple of young uns in Taylor & Southam & some experienced swimmers that we will get a better picture if we can match the Americans, the Italians & the Brits.
Men 4×200 free, Personally, yes some potential, but nothing that would really scare the Brits, but we will get clearer view after trials.
Men 4×100 med, King Kyle again, Temple looks to coming back to his best, backstroke, all depending on Cooper & we have no breaststroke… Read more »
Sums it up, Zac and Chelsea have come good when needed…but AUS cant rely on them forever to pull one out of thin air!
Hodges wasn’t there last year but that really wasn’t the decisive factor (Strauch split sub 1.05.99, only 0.10 slower than King !) but rather the absence of McKeon.
Good analysis. Agree with nearly everything, except that Australia wasn’t/shouldn’t have been the favourite for the 4*200 in 2022. We didn’t have Emma or Ariarne, and they did have Katie. Yes, they had a couple of youngsters, but even then we knew they were very talented youngsters.
It should be different this year – we will have MOC and Ariarne and now Shayna, plus more depth.
In 2022, While the US had Ledecky, no other girls in the US trials went 1.56 or higher. MOC swam a poor last leg.
The US won by 2.4 seconds. MOC could have swum her PB and we still finish 2nd. The US won because they had Katie (and we didn’t have Ariarne) and Bella Sims swam a great last leg. I still say we weren’t or shouldn’t have been favourites given whom we were missing. 2021 was a gold medal thrown away, but not 2022.
MOC with a PB 1.54.01 swam a 1.55.94 last leg, that is nearly 2 seconds, not allowing for the flying start.
Sims with a PB 1.57.53 swam a 1,54.60 last leg.
Ledecky 1.53.67 leg in this race, at that point of their careers, MOC is a better 200 free swimmer than Ledecky.
Her PB was 1:54.9 at the time. While Mollie might have a higher ceiling in the 200 right now Ledecky is far more consistent and can produce a 1:53 split or 1:54 flat start basically on demand. Mollie’s 200s feel a bit like a lottery.
MOC had also just turned 18, and was at her first major championship where she wasn’t just a relay prelim swimmer. I would back her now to swim (rested) at least a 1.54 flat, but she is now 19 and far more experienced. She was Australia’s best 200 free swimmer on that relay. Katie was the US’s best swimmer on their relay. No way Australia was legitimately the favourite for that relay.
Troy & Mark, I get what you are saying, but my point being we go into the last leg with a 1 second deficit, US, with a 16-17 year old with a PB of 1.57.53 & Australia with a just turned 18 year old with a PB 1.54.9, (who a month later swims a 1.54 flat).
My money was on Australia.
Ok, we’ll agree to disagree (on this, I agreed with everything else you said).
You appear to have pivoted your point now.
You originally blamed MOC for swimming a poor leg and said that lost us the race. But factually it didn’t. If she had swam her PB minus 0.5 for a flying start we still would have lost. Blaming MOC, in my opinion, is unreasonable.
If your point instead (which you now appear to be making), is “I would have expected us to still win because MOC’s PB at the time was much faster than Sims” then I don’t think that’s controversial to say. Or if your point is “MOC didn’t swim to her potential in that race” then I also agree.
But blaming her for the loss is unreasonable. Wilson and Melverton… Read more »
But did I. While I didn’t mention Melverton (who I thought was bang on) & especially Wilson( she was not at her best either), all I said was MOC swam a very poor last leg, which is correct, 1.55.94 flying start (For a person who a few weeks later swims a 1.54.01 flat start in the CWG) was poor.
If Wilson had swam to her potential we would’ve been neck & neck with the US going into last leg, when a 1.54.9 swimmer MOC swam 1.3 seconds slower than Simms who was a 1.57 swimmer.
So.
1. Australia were favourites based on time &
2.Wilson & MOC swam not to their potential (poor legs) & this… Read more »
Yes you did. I think that’s clear on any reasonable interpretation of what you’ve written.
You’re holding MOC’s future good performance against her, while also holding it against her that Sims swam poorly at trials and her PB didn’t represent her ability. Even if MOC had matched her time from Birmingham, they still would have lost.
What you’re saying is not logical and not reasonable. But you’re free to believe it if you want.
I think if you followed the thread, my point on MOC’s swims was in debate over Mark saying Australia were not favourites, hence my comparisons with MOC swims with Sims, based on time. Have a another read.
But my points aint logical, no worries, thanks for allowing me for believing what I believe.
Melverton should have retired last year!
They’d have lost even if MOC swam a good last leg. The US seemed weak because Bella Sims underperformed at trials.
M4X100FR: Have had a knack of finding their way onto World/Olympic podiums largely due to the rescue efforts of Chalmers who is truly one of the greatest relay swimmers of the past couple of decades. His supporting cast have been variable in their consistency with most capable of sub48 splits on their good days but never at the same times. The emergence of young talent such as Southam & Taylor may hopefully signal an easing of Chalmers’ burden. Prospects: as usual, they’re likely to be thereabouts. Should they have a good day, then its likely they can medal but that podium looks cut-throat.
M4X200: Likely to be thereabouts but the lack of any real heavy hitters suggests they would need… Read more »
Yes W4x200, Australia has not had consistency, however, for the first time, we have 2 game changers in Titmus & MOC, whereas most other countries have only 1 & now in Jack, we have a no 3 swimmer faster than other countries No2 (Canada apart) & I’m still think Pallister has a very good 200 free in her that would be faster then most no 4s around the world.
However, I do agree I would not bet on them with confidence, both Canada & US are very very strong, even China.
Let’s hope McKeon hasn’t put the 200 free behind her because with four very strong legs the relay will be able to win even if one leg is a bit off just like they often do in the 4×100.
It seems she has, given she’s not swam a LC 200free since Tokyo.
At this point, the list of suspects would look something like: Titmus, MOC, Jack (if she swims it at Trials/or similar time), Wilson, Pallister, Melverton, Throssell, Neale with possible contingency resources in McKeown & Harris.
Can’t see her as the magic fix IF she’s no longer swimming the event. Whilst it’s highly likely that she would still deliver a very solid swim; its exceedlingly unlikely to be a game-changer.
We already have 2 game changers, all the others only have 1 at best.
AUS has one proven game changer, Titmus. Whilst MOC has proven herself to be a major player (if not yet to the status of McKeon/C1) in the 4X100; she has yet to “dial in” the 4X200. It would be more accurate to describe her as a “potential game changer” rather than proven.
Will grant the same does have to be extended to McIntosh who’s flat start clearly marks her as “very likely”; the runs are as yet not on the board. The new generation Americans are maybe a rung below; having dropped the big 1.54 splits but not yet the really big flat start time that suggests the “mega:” 1.52/1.53 split that spells out “game changer”.
In truth, there are… Read more »
Agreed. Best case scenario:
MOC 1:54.0
Jack 1:54.7
McKeon 1:54.5
Titmus 1:52.9
7:36.1 = WR by 3.2 seconds.
Even two dodgy legs could be salvaged out of that.
Not to mention Wilson, Neale and Melverton are theoretically capable of 1:55 low, and Pallister still improving.
Sorry if reported already, but I didnt realise Kai Taylor was Hayley Lewis’s son!
I didn’t realise that either until the announcer said it last night! That’s pretty cool
Kai won the 200 free, which was the event Hayley was WC in back in 1991!
Haha. I remember that surprise win and then Hayley got a surprise walking round the pool deck after the race. A woman dashed down the stand and embraced her.
The confused look on Hayley’s face said ‘who tf was that?’ lol
It was Shane Gould – Australia’s last 200m free gold medallist – who had been a bit of a recluse for the past 15 years or so.
Yeah, she was very surprised, not just by Shane Gould but because she had won the 200 free WC. It was probably her 4th best event at the time (400/800 free, 400IM) and it was a pretty big upset when she won.
Yes definitely a shock win, made up for her Silver in 400IM were just popped for the Gold.
Don’t think she had moved up to 800m yet, other event was 200 Fly.
Time for Perth to host WC again – Aussies always do well as summer vs winter for majority of the world.
Is Cody Simpson at this?
Yes
He seems off the pace after his break out year last year…..
Given McKeon’s scratchings this meet, Lani scratching the 1500, Cody’s and Mack’s swims had wondered if there was an illness concern in that squad.
My observation of both Griffith Uni AND SPW squads was that swimmers on each squad were clearly at different points of their preparation or have differing programs. For GU, McKeown was swimming the lights out whereas others were clearly in hard work. SPW had MOC,Forrester & Jack flying …… compared to Titmus.
True but McKeon doesn’t typically scratch races it was very unusual for her.
SPW wins the double, what a shocker.
Just realised that Kaylee has pushed the great Samantha Riley out of the top 10 Australian all-time in the 200 breast. Huge.
Funnily enough when I saw the time i immediately thought of Rebecca Brown’s WR – she went out in 1:08 so kayley came back much faster, as you’d expect I suppose
Kudos for the intelligent & entertaining chat in here over the past few days guys. See you all again in 7 weeks or so.