2024 Australian Olympic Trials Previews: The Battles

2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

• June 10-15, 2024
• Brisbane Aquatic Center – Brisbane, Australia
• LCM (50 meters)
• Swimming Australian Olympic Nomination Criteria
• Meet Central
• Updated Psych Sheet
• Heat Sheets
• Live Results

With the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials on the horizon, we’re looking at the different dynamics about to unfold at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre beginning on June 10th.

To qualify for the Olympic Games, swimmers must be under the qualifying standard set by Swimming Australia and place inside the top two of their event at the Trials (outside of the 100 and 200 free, where up to the top six can be named). The qualifying times put in place by Swimming Australia are faster than the Olympic qualifying times published by World Aquatics.

Rather than previewing the meet by event, we’ve opted to focus more on the storylines for the Australian Trials, with the following articles to come:

• The Locks
• The Veterans
• The Holes
• The Young Guns – Likely to Qualify
• The Young Guns – Flying Under the Radar
• The Battles

In this article, we’re taking a look at some of the races that are shaping up to be cutthroat battles, as the top spots will be highly contested based on the pedigree and recent performances of the top-ranked swimmers.

While it is never guaranteed who will slide into the Olympic spots, as a lower seed can always move up the rankings, below are a few of the races where the top couple of entrants are all bunched up, especially those closest to snagging the second spot.

Men’s 100 Breast

The Olympic spots in the men’s 100 breast will be a tight race, as the top three seeds are all separated by mere tenths, and even hundredths, of a second.

Zac Stubblety-Cook is the top seed in the event, entered with a time of 59.51, a time that is two one-hundredths shy of the Australian Qualifying Time (AQT) of 59.49.

The winner will get the Olympic nod for the medley relay anyway, but the biggest battle figures to be a race against the clock—though it’s not outside the realm of possibility that two men go under the mark.

Sam Williamson is the #2 seed, entered with a 59.82, while Joshua Yong is currently in the #3 spot with a 59.83, making this race one to watch.

While Williamson’s personal best time of 59.21 is faster than Yong’s best time of 59.83, Yong recently defeated Williamson at the Australian Open Championships. Yong threw down a time of 1:00.16 to beat out Williamson’s time of 1:00.87.

Women’s 100 Breast

Mirroring the rankings of the men’s event, the second and third spots in the women’s 100 breast are also separated by only .01.

Abbey Harkin currently sits in the #2 spot on the psych sheet with a 1:06.86, her personal best which she set at the 2023 World Championships, and just behind her is Ella Ramsay, who is entered with a 1:06.87.

Harkin and Ramsay most recently went head-to-head at the Australian Open Championships, where Harkin placed second overall with a season-best time of 1:07.71. Ramsay posted a time of 1:08.24 to take fourth.

The two will be in hot contention with each other for one of the Olympic spots, especially as they also contend with #1 seed Jenna Strauch (1:06.16).

Of course, the AQT of 1:06.31 means only the winner will go to Paris if two women aren’t under that mark.

Men’s 100 Free

The shorter sprints tend to produce the closest battles for the top spots, and the men’s 100 free lineup certainly promises to do just that at Trials.

The top two men are sub-48 coming in, with Kyle Chalmers leading the way at 47.15. Flynn Southam is ranked second in a time of 47.77, while Kai Taylor has been as fast as 48.01 this year (though he’s entered at 48.37).

With up to six swimmers making the Olympic roster in the 100 free for relay purposes, the battle for the remaining spots is sure to be just as intense. The next three swimmers on the psych sheet are nearly dead even with their entry times; William Yang is the #4 seed in 48.20, followed by Jack Cartwright and Maximillian Giuliani, both entered at 48.21.

Women’s 200 fly

The race for the second Olympic spot looks like it will be a tight one in the women’s 200 fly, as the second and third seeds are within four-tenths of each other.

Abbey Connor is currently ranked second with her personal best time of 2:06.59, while Olympic veteran Brianna Throssell is ranked just behind her with a time of 2:06.98, just narrowly off her all-time best time of 2:06.78.

Throssell’s entry time of 2:06.98 was just posted at the Australian Open, where she edged ahead of Connor, who posted a time of 2:07.20. Either way, both are comfortably under the AQT of 2:07.72.

The showdown in the event will likely be between Connor and Throssell, as 4th seed Bella Grant sits further behind with a time of 2:08.42, but there is always room for surprises at Trials.

Elizabeth Dekkers currently leads the field by a decent margin, heading into the meet with a time of 2:05.20.

Women’s 100 Free

The women’s 100 free is shaping up to be a battle to decide who will qualify for the individual event at the Olympics and who will fill the relay spots.

Mollie O’Callaghan looks to be locked in for the event, sitting in the top spot with an entry time of 52.16, but the rankings after her are tightly bunched.

Emma McKeon’s seed time of 52.52 puts her in the #2 spot, where she is closely followed by Meg Harris (52.59) and Shayna Jack (52.60). Trailing just slightly further back are Olympic veterans and famed sibling duo Cate and Bronte Campbell, who are seeded fifth (53.23) and sixth (53.30) respectively.

Youngster and reigning World Junior champion Olivia Wunsch is also a significant threat.

Women’s 50 Free

The 50 free is likely to be an even closer battle for the Olympic roster spots since the margin between competitors’ times is even smaller.

McKeon leads the pack with an entry time of 23.99, the only competitor under 24. She will be dueling for the top spot with Jack, who sits just behind McKeon as the #2 seed with a time of 24.01.

Cate Campbell will also be fighting for an Olympic roster spot; she is seeded third with a 24.10 and is trailed by Harris, who is entered with a 24.28. Wunsch is also in the mix.

Women’s 400 IM

It appears as if it will be a fight between Kiah Melverton and Ella Ramsay for the second Olympic spot in the 400 IM.

Melverton is seeded second with a time of 4:36.78, while Ramsay is the #3 seed with a time of 4:36.94.

While the 400 IM offers more opportunity for surprise upsets, Melverton and Ramsay have the smallest margin of separation among the top-ranked competitors, making them the most likely to be locked into a tough showdown in the pool.

The top seed, Jenna Forrester, sits farther ahead of Melverton with an entry time of 4:32.30, while #4 seed Kayla Hardy trails Ramsay with an entry time of 4:44.25.

Men’s 100 Fly

The men’s 100 fly promises an exciting showdown to determine who will secure the Olympic roster spots, as the top six ranked swimmers all have times in hot contention with each other.

Matt Temple is the top seed with a time of 50.60 and is the only competitor under 51 on the psych sheet, giving him a decent edge, but there are still no guarantees given the closeness of those after him.

Shaun Champion is the #2 seed with a time of 51.28, followed by Kyle Chalmers (51.61), Jesse Coleman (51.66), Ben Armbruster (51.67) and Cody Simpson (51.67).

With the top six entrants being separated by just hundredths in the seedings, this race will certainly be one to watch at Trials.