2024 AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
- Monday, June 10th – Saturday, June 15th
- Brisbane Aquatic Center – Brisbane, Australia
- Prelims at 11am local/9pm previous day ET; Finals at 7:30pm local/5:30am ET
- LCM (50 meters)
- Swimming Australian Olympic Nomination Criteria
- Meet Central
- Updated Psych Sheet
- Heat Sheets
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Live Results
- Livestream (VPN Needed)
Day two of the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials brought the heat, with two women dipping under the 58-second barrier in the 100m backstroke.
Winner Kaylee McKeown clocked a monster time of 57.41 to put up the 2nd-best performance in history while Mollie O’Callaghan was next to the wall in a big-time personal best of 57.88.
Akin to McKeown opting out of the 400m IM in her Olympic lineup despite blasting a new national record this past April, O’Callaghan isn’t yet sure if she’ll contest this 100m back in Paris.
Hear what these Olympic medalists, along with newly-minted Australian Age Record holder Sienna Toohey and multi-class weapons Tom Gallagher, Rowan Crothers and Grant Patterson, had to say after tonight’s session.
Quotes courtesy of Swimming Australia.
Kaylee McKeown, Women’s 100m Back Gold Medalist (57.41)
“I’m a little bit disappointed,” McKeown said.
“But I have booked myself another ticket to Paris so that’s just another chance to go faster.”
“If you’re going to get up and do a 200 (medley) at max effort, you’re not going to come in the next day being refreshed – no matter what you do,” she said.
“The Olympics is just like that. If all goes to plan I will have nine individual events plus relays, so I have got to put myself in harm’s way here.”
Mollie O’Callaghan, Women’s 100m Back Silver Medalist (57.88)
“I’m happy with anything to be honest it’s 100 backstroke for me it’s a fun event I don’t really train for it. To go out there and swam a 57 is just amazing. I put a lot of pressure on myself regardless if it’s a main event or not. So I’m really really happy with the outcome.
“There’s so much more room to improve. I can’t wait to take the next step. I don’t know (if I’ll compete in this event at Paris). It really depends on if I qualified for the next few events. I think that’s the main thing is just taking it day by day.
“Obviously very, very nervous (about the 200m freestyle). You know, there’s a lot of pressure riding on this, especially having the world record in it. A lot of pressure from myself, I’m my biggest critic, whatever happens happens, I would really love to make the team on this event. And do the best job I can.”
Sienna Toohey, Women’s 100m Breast Bronze Medalist (1:07.01)
“I didn’t know what I was feeling. I lost what I was feeling. I didn’t really know what was happening. I knew that I was going fast I didn’t know I was going that fast.
“(Swimming) is basically my whole life. The school is very supportive of my swimming. They do everything to make sure that I am doing very well with my swimming but also staying on top of school.
“This (Trials) was a good first experience for me. First trials where I made a final so that was really cool. That was my goal for this race (to break Leisel Jones record). I didn’t care what I would come. I just knew I wanted to go for the record.
“I was born after she (Leisel Jones) had stopped swimming. I’ve watched some of her races from before but I’ve never met her.”
Tom Gallagher 50m Freestyle Multi Class
“This comp (Trials) is all about the process. Just putting another 50 together, another small PB gives me the confidence heading to the next block of training.
“It’s just about making the team this Trials. The big one is in a few months’ time so put that together. It’s good to see Rowan getting the QT as well tonight. Takes the pressure off us. ”
Rowan Crothers 50m Freestyle Multi Class
“We (Tom and I) do this because we love racing. I love racing Tommy and I know Tommy loves racing me. And regardless of who comes through at the end, we can still give each other a real hug and shake hands and just say that, hey, we did our best and, you know, I think we’re pushing each other further forward.”
Grant Patterson – qualified Men 50m Breaststroke Multi-Class
“I’m really stoked, my third Paralympics. I’m over the moon to be going to my third, happy for my coach who’s been with me for 17 years. I just get out there and have a go.
“I do motivational speeches and I always talk about, ‘what’s your purpose in life?’ and my purpose is not just swimming. “Swimming is a tool to hopefully inspire and motivate the next generation to help them have a crack in life and chase their dreams,” he said
Ok she never said that. She said “We will see”. She doesn’t want to have swimswam make articles about how she may not swim it. That’s why she didn’t elaborate
Why doesnt Mollie swim it in Paris, it doesnt really cause a problem with her other races (the 800 is between the 100 Back final and the 100 free semifinals
Why couldn’t you have done breaststroke, Mollie? WHY?!
She is so talented I would not be surprised if she threw down a casual 1.06 low.
Having said that, I wonder how her fly is.
She has no breaststroke results since she was 11 so I seriously doubt she’ll ever go 1:06 low. 100 fly best is 58.9.
I wasn’t really that serious in that comment 🙂
When was her fly time from?
Queensland Championships in December 2023
That’s fairly recent. Then she is probably around 57 right now.
was 1:54.3, 53.2 and 59.5 at that meet for reference and has very little experience outside of that meet swimming fly so could probably make some big drops if she bothered but I don’t think she will
It would fit her schedule so much better than backstroke.
You can never be sure with SwimSwam comments.
LOL – true but we are both from Australia so there is that 🙂
Ha, my kid used to beat MOC in brs, just no
What a swimmer Mollie O is, amazingly good. She can make it great in Paris.
Both Kaylee and MOC: “I don’t really train for it”
And swam it and become the third fastest swimmer ever (Kaylee in 400 IM) and the fourth fastest swimmer ever (MOC in 100 back) and not even gonna swim it in Paris.
I mean… Mollie almost made the team in the 100 back at 17 so she obviously trains for it a little even if it isn’t her focus haha
Kind of like Thorpe not training for the 800, but breaking the WR the first time he swam it.
Also Ben Hance, after grabbing the mic from Giaan Rooney,
“I will win that 100 fly gold in Paris!”
Anderson will get the spot for 100 back
Seems like she’s treating the 100 back as an insurance event. Aussie women freestylers are loaded.
The issue is that it conflicts with the 200 which she is guaranteed to qualify in. The 100 is the event at risk and it doesn’t have a conflict. Worst case scenario is she misses the 100 free but qualifies in the 200: but that’s also the likeliest scenario (assuming she is going to miss an event)
I don’t see her missing out on her pet events.