2024 Aussie Age Champs Day 3: Flynn Southam Goes 1:46.43 FR, Joshua Conias Hits 22.35 FR

2024 AUSTRALIAN AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day three of the 2024 Australian Age Championships went on down under in Queensland with some of the country’s brightest up-and-coming youngsters competing in the pool. For some, these championships are a stepping stone for next week’s Australian National Championships, as well as the June Australian Olympic Trials. For others, this competition is a qualification opportunity for slots on the Junior Pan Pacific Championships roster.

Highlighting the session was 16-year-old Joshua Conias, coached under Tim Few, who swamped his age category in the boys 50 free, nailing a 22.35 to win the final. Finishing eight-tenths behind in second was Jackson Anderson (23.15). Conias’ winning time moved him from No. 5 to No. 2 all-time in 16-year-old Aussie male history, putting him now 0.02s behind Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers‘ 2015 top mark of 22.33.

18-year-old Flynn Southam lit up his age category of the boys 200 free at 1:46.43, remaining at No. 4 all-time in 18-year-old history, still more than two seconds behind Ian Thorpe‘s 2001 top mark of 1:44.03. Southam’s personal best sits at 1:46.24, which ranks No. 2 for all-time 17-year-old Aussie boys.

Featured alongside Australia’s top age group names, other top age group international names have electrified the finals session. 14-year-old Rohutu Teahui of Tahiti won his age category in the boys 100 back in a quick 58.32, an overwhelming 1.34s win over runner-up Max Cunningham (59.56). For Teahui, the Tahiti teen puts himself in a 0.79s striking distance off Keha Desbordes‘ 57.53 national record. For Cunningham, his finals swim was a 1.43s drop from prelims (1:00.99) to break 1:00 for the first time.

Singapore’s Tedd Windsor Chan won the age 14 boys 50 breast at 29.85, just off his weeks-old personal best of 29.62. The Singaporean national record stands at 27.91 by Nick Mahabir, putting Chan 1.71s off his nation’s top time. Placing second to Chan was Christopher Montana, touching in a personal best of 30.39, the 3rd-fastest 14-year-old Aussie boy all-time. Third-place finisher Oscar Kolenbet also PB’d at 30.65, maintaining his No.7 all-time position in 14-year-old history.

For the age 14 girls side of the 50 breast, Georgia Edwards clocked in 32.17, making her No.2. all-time in her age category. Runner-up Lill Ribot-De-Bresac touched the wall at 32.83, which checks in as No. 8 all-time in the 14-year-old girls category. Also entering the all-time top 10 list for their age group was 16-year-old Jack Morrow, storming a 56.14 to win his event final and move to No. 9 all-time in history.

It was a tight finish for the 13-year-old girls 400 free final, with Arika Erdenko holding off an acclerating Ciara Jeffs on the last 100 to win by a narrow 0.11s, 4:26.66 to 4:26.77. It was even closer to the finish in the 14-year-old girls 200 free, with Eloise McClellan touching out Zahlie Snijders by seven one-hundredths, 2;04.36 to 2:04.43.

More Day Three Highlights

  • During the girls 13-17 400 free relay, 17-year-old Olivia Wunsch led her relay off in a blistering 54.25, just off her 2023 World Junior title time of 53.71. That time is still good enough to remain in the top 10 performing times in Aussie age group event history.
  • Worlds medalist Jaclyn Barclay topped the age 17 girls 50 back at 28.87, seven-tenths off her 2024 Worlds effort of 28.17, which placed 11th in semifinals two months ago.
  • After Frankie Somerville broke 26 seconds for the first time to lead the age 15 girls 50 free prelims at 25.99, Lillie McPherson chopped 0.71s from prelims to win the final also cracking a first-time sub-26 at 25.73. Somerville settled for second with a slight drop at 25.92.
  • 16-year-old Julia Remington won her second event here in Queensland, following the 200 breast yesterday, with a girls 200 IM win at 2:17.06 to narrowly hold off a charging Piper Asquith (2:17.52).
  • In the 15-year-old boys 100 fly, Archie Kreutzberger dropped 1.89s from cruising to sixth in prelims at 57.83 to winning the final to break 56 seconds for the first time at 55.94.
  • In the age 16 girls 50 free event, Sylvia Czajko won the final in a dominant 25.49, but was swifter in prelims at 25.27. That puts her 0.04s off the all-time top 10 performers in her age category.

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SNygans01
6 months ago

Anybody have the splits from that last heat, and for Wunsch in the earlier one?
Bird and Jansen in particular.

Troyy
Reply to  SNygans01
6 months ago

53.9 for Jansen
1:00.14 for Bird
1:00.38 for Barclay
1:00.28 for Wunsch

SNygans01
Reply to  Troyy
6 months ago

Cheers Maestro!

Troyy
6 months ago

“But as is her name she just … she has plenty of gas to give” 😩

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Troyy
6 months ago

as is her name, emily bombed in commentary

Mark69
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
6 months ago

It’s getting to the EMbarassing stage.

Oceanian
Reply to  Mark69
6 months ago

Who is the media/comms manager for Swim/Aus? Surely they can only be ashamed by this week’s commentary.

Troyy
6 months ago

Not a single result pushed so far.

Samboys
Reply to  Troyy
6 months ago

Check meet mobile, they’re all on there. Seemed to be mostly up to date all night. Small miracles.

Daniel
6 months ago

Ammundsen betters Barclay’s time. Has an easy stroke.

Oceanian
6 months ago

Good swim by Ammundsen.

SNygans01
Reply to  Oceanian
6 months ago

yep – she’s now #10.

Troyy
Reply to  SNygans01
6 months ago

Doesn’t age up until after JPPs so couple more opportunities to move up.

Troyy
6 months ago

Woah! Didn’t think she was on track for a time like that at half way.

Oceanian
6 months ago

“This is where I shine here in the booth”

lmao

Troyy
Reply to  Oceanian
6 months ago

Did they say that? 😆 I’ve learned to filter out their voices.

Joel
Reply to  Troyy
6 months ago

Emily said it

Oceanian
Reply to  Troyy
6 months ago

Em said that. And added nothing of value during that call of the Ammundsen swim.

Those muppets in the booth also call her the ‘stats wizard’ (or something like that).

You and a few more in these threads have given us about 100 – maybe 200 – more stats than Em in the past four days.

SNygans01
Reply to  Oceanian
6 months ago

It’s unfortunate, but – to borrow a quote from The Big Lebowski – she’s out of her element.

Troyy
6 months ago

Another two second drop for Toohey and Pope was pretty much all out in the heats.

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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