2024 Australian Olympic Trials: Day 6 Prelims Live Recap

2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

The final day of action at the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials should be a thriller, with the women’s 50 freestyle, men’s 400 IM, women’s 400 IM, men’s 100 butterfly, and women’s 1500 free on the schedule.

The session will start with the women’s 50 free, where Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell will look to bounce back after somewhat disappointing performances in Friday’s 100 free. McKeon, the reigning Olympic champion in both sprint freestyle events, missed her chance to defend her 100 free title with a 6th-place finish in 53.33, though the swim should be good enough to lock up a 4×100 free relay spot. Campbell, a four-time Olympian, missed the A-final by just one hundredth of a second as she recovers from an undisclosed illness.

However, only one of McKeon/Campbell will likely qualify for the 50 free individually with Shayna Jack appearing in prime form this week. The 25-year-old Jack is ranked 4th this season at 24.09 from last December, the 32-year-old Campbell is 5th at 24.10 from last October, and the 30-year-old McKeon is 16th at 24.46 from April.

Both 400 IMs should also feature fun three-way battles with Brendon Smith (4:10.15), William Petric (4:12.21), and Thomas Neill (4:13.43) among those seeking Olympic qualification under the Aussie cut of 4:12.50 in the men’s event. On the women’s side, 20-year-old Jenna Forrester (4:32.30), 27-year-old Kiah Melverton (4:36.78), and 19-year-old Ella Ramsay (4:36.94) own entry times under the Aussie standard of 4:38.53. Notably, Australian record holder (and backstroke specialist) Kaylee McKeown is absent from the women’s 400 IM psych sheet.

In the men’s 100 fly, Australian record holder Matthew Temple (50.60) and Shaun Champion (51.28) lead the charge. Pop star Cody Simpson is one of six men with seed times under 52 seconds in the event as he takes his final crack at Olympic qualification.

The session will conclude with the women’s 1500 free, where Lani Pallister (15:48.96) and Moesha Johnson (15:55.75) are the favorites to qualify under the Aussie standard of 16:01.95.

Stay tuned for live updates below:

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – PRELIMS

  • World Record – 23.61, Sarah Sjostrom, 2023
  • Australian Record – 23.78, Cate Campbell, 2018
  • Oceanian Record – 23.78, Cate Campbell, 2018
  • Commonwealth Record – 23.78, Cate Campbell, 2018
  • All Comers Record – 23.78, Cate Campbell, 2018
  • Swim Australia OQT – 24.67

Top 8:

  1. Shayna Jack – 24.02
  2. Meg Harris – 24.47
  3. Bronte Campbell – 24.56
  4. Emma McKeon – 24.72
  5. Olivia Wunsch – 24.73
  6. Cate Campbell – 24.85
  7. Mollie O’Callaghan – 24.87
  8. Alexandria Perkins – 25.02

Shayna Jack dominated the women’s 50 free prelims by more than half a second with a season-best 24.02, narrowly missing her personal-best 24.01 from last year’s World Championships. The 25-year-old remains the fourth-fastest performer in the world this season, making her a podium threat at next month’s Paris Olympics. Jack is fresh off a runner-up finish in the 100 free on Friday night.

Meg Harris qualified 2nd with a time of 24.47, less than a tenth ahead of 30-year-old Bronte Campbell (24.56) — both of whom were under the Aussie Olympic cut of 24.67. The 22-year-old Harris is aiming to bounce back after swimming a time in the 100 free prelims on Friday morning (52.52) that would have qualified individually in the final. She ranks 9th in the world this season with a 24.28 from April’s Australian Open Championships.

Reigning Olympic champion Emma McKeon will be the No. 4 seed tonight after posting a 24.72 in prelims, just a hundredth ahead of 18-year-old Olivia Wunsch (24.73). Cate Campbell clocked a 24.85 for the No. 6 seed in her final chance for a fifth Olympic bid this summer. 100 free champion Mollie O’Callaghan (24.87) and Alexandria Perkins (25.02) round out the remaining A-finalists.

MEN’S 400 IM – PRELIMS

  • World Record – 4:02.50, Leon Marchand, 2023
  • Australian Record – 4:09.27, Brendon Smith, 2021
  • Oceanian Record – 4:08.70, Lewis Clareburt, 2022
  • Commonwealth Record – 4:08.70, Lewis Clareburt, 2022
  • All Comers Record – 4:06.22, Michael Phelps, 2007
  • Swim Australia OQT – 4:12.50

Top 8:

  1. William Petric – 4:20.40
  2. Brendon Smith – 4:21.84
  3. David Schlicht – 4:22.49
  4. Callum Thomas – 4:22.63
  5. Thomas Hauck – 4:24.55
  6. Kyle Lee – 4:24.96
  7. Joshua Staples – 4:26.14
  8. Marco Soesanto – 4:29.45

William Petric was the fastest man in the 400 IM prelims at 4:20.40, about a second ahead of Australian record holder Brendon Smith (4:21.84). The 23-year-old Smith came into the event as the top seed at 4:10.15 with Petric close behind at 4:12.21 — both under the Aussie Olympic cut of 4:12.50.

David Schlicht qualified 3rd in 4:22.49, only about a tenth ahead of 20-year-old Callum Thomas (4:22.63). The 24-year-old Schlicht appeared primed to lower his lifetime best of 4:18.76 tonight after spending the past few seasons training with world record holder Leon Marchand at Arizona State.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – PRELIMS

  • World Record – 4:24.38, Summer McIntosh, 2024
  • Australian Record – 4:28.22, Kaylee McKeown, 2024
  • Oceanian Record – 4:28.22, Kaylee McKeown, 2024
  • Commonwealth Record – 4:24.38, Summer McIntosh, 2024
  • All Comers Record – 4:28.22, Kaylee McKeown, 2024
  • Swim Australia OQT – 4:38.53

Top 8:

  1. Jenna Forrester – 4:43.53
  2. Ella Ramsay – 4:44.57
  3. Kayla Hardy – 4:47.35
  4. Charli Brown – 4:48.12
  5. Kiah Melverton – 4:48.45
  6. Taryn Roberts – 4:52.01
  7. Julia Remington – 4:52.88
  8. Tara Kinder – 4:54.02

Jenna Forrester led the women’s 400 IM prelims in 4:43.53, about 10 seconds off her top-seeded time of 4:32.30 from her 3rd-place showing at the 2023 World Championships.

Ella Ramsay was next to the wall in 4:44.57, a few seconds ahead of Kayla Hardy (4:47.35), Charli Brown (4:48.12), and Kiah Melverton (4:48.45). The 19-year-old Ramsay is looking to add a third individual event to her Paris lineup after already securing Olympic berths in the 200 IM and 200 breast.

Melverton owns a lifetime best of 4:36.78 from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but the 27-year-old hasn’t been under the Aussie Olympic cut (4:38.53) since then.

MEN’S 100 FLY – PRELIMS

  • World Record – 49.45, Caeleb Dressel, 2021
  • Australian Record – 50.25, Matthew Temple, 2023
  • Oceanian Record – 50.25, Matthew Temple, 2023
  • Commonwealth Record – 50.06, Joshua Liendo, 2024
  • All Comers Record – 50.45, Matthew Temple, 2021
  • Swim Australia OQT – 51.17

Top 8:

  1. Matthew Temple – 51.46
  2. Ben Armbruster – 51.57
  3. Jesse Coleman – 51.67
  4. Shaun Champion – 51.74
  5. Cody Simpson – 51.78
  6. Harrison Turner – 52.49
  7. Jack Carr – 52.66
  8. Thomas Nankervis – 52.78

Matthew Temple led the men’s 100 fly heats in 51.46, setting up an exciting showdown tonight as three swimmers were within a few tenths of the 24-year-old Australian record holder.

Ben Armbruster blasted a personal-best 51.57 for the No. 2 seed, shaving a tenth off his previous-best 51.67 from last October’s World Cup stop in Berlin.

Pop star Cody Simpson wasn’t far off his personal-best 51.67 from December with his 5th-place showing in 51.78 behind Shaun Champion (51.74) and Jesse Coleman (51.67). Their path to Olympic qualification got slightly easier with the news of No. 3 seed Kyle Chalmers scratching the 100 fly to focus on getting healthy for the Olympics as he battled through illness and back problems this week.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE – SLOWER HEATS

  • World Record –15:20.48, Katie Ledecky, 2018
  • Australian Record – 15:46.13, Madeleine Gough, 2021
  • Oceanian Record – 15:40.14, Lauren Boyle, 2015
  • Commonwealth Record – 15:40.14, Lauren Boyle, 2015
  • All Comers Record – 15:28.36, Katie Ledecky, 2014
  • Swim Australia OQT – 16:01.95

Top 7:

  1. Mackenzie Hunter – 17:01.48
  2. Sienna Deurloo – 17:06.57
  3. Bianca Crisp – 17:17.91
  4. Lily Tomlinson – 17:26.84
  5. Rosie Wilson – 17:30.20
  6. Daisy Quinn – 17:38.21
  7. Olivia Galea – 17:49.86

Mackenzie Hunter was the only swimmer within a minute of the Aussie Olympic cut (16:01.95) at 17:01.48 to lead the slower heats of the women’s 1500 free. The 18-year-old narrowly missed her personal-best 17:01.03 from April.

Sienna Deurloo had broken 17 minutes before, but she couldn’t sneak under the barrier again with a runner-up finish in 17:06.57.

Lani Pallister (15:48.96) and Moesha Johnson (15:55.75) are the favorites to qualify in tonight’s fast heat.

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Troyy
15 days ago

No scratches from A finals.

Genevieve Nnaji
Reply to  Troyy
15 days ago

Good.

Peter
15 days ago

It’s safe to say temple and jack both will win tonight. Only ones up in the air are smith v Petric and if Ramsay can cause an upset over Forrester.

Peter
15 days ago

Can ramsay upset forester or touch too hard?

Peter
15 days ago

Who do we think wins Petric or smith

NotHimAgain
15 days ago

What was the deal with the competitor who swam butterfly in the women’s 50m freestyle? Did she get placed in the wrong race or is that all above board if you’re not an Australian and are just swimming to get some practice in?

Skip
Reply to  NotHimAgain
15 days ago

Its freestyle, you can swim what you like. Ikee is from Japan, so couldnt make A final anyways, she’s a flyer, so fly

Genevieve Nnaji
Reply to  NotHimAgain
15 days ago

She’s Rikako Ikkee.

And you can swim whatever stroke in freestyle events.

Last edited 15 days ago by Genevieve Nnaji
ooo
Reply to  Genevieve Nnaji
15 days ago

Did happen in the NCAA this season in the 4X50 women’s relay. (For good reason, faster in fly than in free)

PFA
15 days ago

Outside shot of Simpson making it here realistically he’d need to drop at minimum .5 and on the higher end break 51 to finish 2nd but I guess will see what happens later

Genevieve Nnaji
Reply to  PFA
15 days ago

He’d better be booking flight tickets and hotel room to watch his girlfriend competing

Miss M
15 days ago

Real changing of the guard coming with the team announcement tonight. No Larkin, Seebohm or Cate Campbell on the team for the first time in what feels like forever. Add in others like Leah Neale, Kiah Melverton and David Morgan as well, it will be interesting to see what’s happening with the average age on the team. 3×30 year olds, 22/23 year old ‘veterans’ defending their Olympic titles off to their second games and some young rookies. I’m excited for the future of the sport, if a little bit sad to see some of my favourites miss out!

Sub13
Reply to  Miss M
15 days ago

I would’ve liked to see Cate on the team but not if it was at the expense of Olivia. Would have been interesting if Cate was 6th and Emma 7th and BRI 8th. Do they still take 6th in that case when 7th/8th are so close behind and already on the team?

Miss M
Reply to  Sub13
15 days ago

The one scenario I had in my “dream results” was that Cate and Liv dead heated for 6th and they used discretion to take them both! I was thinking Mollie, Meg, Emma, Shayna, Bronte, Liv, Cate, Bri. Very easy to justify a complete swap from heat to finals.

Alas it wasn’t meant to be, and my fear that one of the stars would miss the final happened.

Troyy
Reply to  Miss M
15 days ago

In my “dream results” I had Cate in the 50 and still getting to swim relay prelims.

M d e
Reply to  Sub13
15 days ago

For Cate they would have.

Andy
Reply to  Miss M
15 days ago

It’s actually crazy that 23yo Titmus is a veteran who is taking an indefinite break after Paris. She feels like she’s been around forever that we forget that she was only 18 when she beat Ledecky (who was only 22 herself) in 2019

Troyy
Reply to  Andy
15 days ago

She knows what she needs to have longevity in the sport.

Genevieve Nnaji
Reply to  Troyy
15 days ago

Very smart.

Snarky
Reply to  Miss M
15 days ago

Aussie swimming has a depth/development problem. Great on the top but not much waiting in the wings. Hope they can get that together.

Oceanian
15 days ago

Is Thorpie’s sister married with children these days? Anyone know?

If so, do they swim?

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Oceanian
15 days ago

maybe giaan can tell us. 80% of her commentary has been about thorpe

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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