Aussie Trials Day 2: King Kyle Strikes Again, While Titmus Slays

2018 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

• Wednesday, February 28th – Saturday, March 3rd
• Optus Aquatic Centre, Marine Parade, Southport, Queensland
• Prelims at 11:00am local (8pm EST previous night)/Finals at 7:15pm local (4:15am EST)
• LCM
• Meet Central
• Selection Criteria (including QTs)
• Start Lists
• SwimSwam Meet Preview
• Live Stream (prelims only)
• Live Results

Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap

Day 2 Prelims Recap

MEN’S 400 FREE (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 3:40.08, Ian Thorpe, 2002
• ‘A’ Cut – 3:46.14
• ‘B’ Cut – 3:48.15
• GOLD – MACK HORTON, 3:45.51
• SILVER – JACK MCLOUGHLIN, 3:45.80
• BRONZE – DAVID MCKEON, 3:47.39

Olympic gold medalist in this event, Mack Horton, capitalized on his 2nd seeded prelims swim to take the national title tonight in 3:45.41. Battling with Chandler’s Jack McLoughlin, Horton came out on top by less than half a second, closing in 27.21 to secure the win. Horton’s winning time from Rio, fully tapered, was 3:41.55, so the 21-year-old has proven he is most likely the one to beat come April.

Post-race, Horton reportedly talked about how his 200m freestyle race from last night may have impacted his time in the 400m today, so he is considering dropping the 200m freestyle as an individual event at the Commonwealth Games.

McLoughlin missed out on the 200m freestyle final on night 1 and had to make the most of this race to claim a spot on the roster. His silver medal-winning 3:45.80 effort also dips under the 3:46.14 Australian Swimming-dictated qualifying standard, giving the Chandler swimmer an opportunity to represent his nation at a home turn Games.

Both Horton and McLoughlin sit only behind Horton’s Olympic nemesis Sun Yang of China in the world rankings.

Finishing 3rd tonight was 25-year-old veteran David McKeon, who slid from his first seed from this morning. He dropped almost 2 seconds between is 3:49.42 AM effort and his 3:47.39 time from tonight, but was a clear 3rd place swimmer between the 2 battling 3:45 athletes.

Of note, 17-year-old Bond swimmer Elijah Winnigton captured a very respectable 4th place finish, clocking 3:50.00. That checks-in as Winnington’s personal best and puts him right on the cusp of breaking 3:50 for the first time.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 1:05.09, Leisel Jones, 2006
• ‘A’ Cut – 1:06.81
• ‘B’ Cut – 1:07.58
• GOLD – GEORGIA BOHL, 1:07.22
• SILVER – LEISTON PICKETT, 1:07.56
• BRONZE – JESSICA HANSEN, 1:07.64

The top 3 finishers all scored times under the 1:08 threshold in the women’s 100m breaststroke, but none was able to approach the 1:06.81 A qualifying standard for an automatic Commonwealth Games roster slot.

Leading the way tonight was 20-year-old Georgia Bohl, the Griffith University swimmer who had a rough 2017 battling injuries. Tonight she managed to clock her fastest effort since March 2017, touching in 1:07.22 for gold. That time would have won Bohl silver at the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games, a competition in which tonight’s silver medalist, Leiston Pickett, finished in 5th.

Pickett was looking for a consecutive Australian national title in this event, but fell just .34 short, earning a mark of 1:07.56. Right behind her was Nunawading’s Jessica Hansen, rounding out the top 3 in 1:07.64.

The 200m breaststroke winner found herself off the podium, as Taylor McKeown stopped the clock at 1:08.20 in her secondary event.

The top 3 women tonight are represented among the top 5 performers in the world so far this season, with Hansen’s 1:07.02 from the Victoria Open topping the trio.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – Cate Campbell, 25.47, 2018
• ‘A’ Cut – 25.73
• ‘B’ Cut – 26.49
• GOLD – CATE CAMPBELL, 25.51
• SILVER – HOLLY BARRATT, 25.94
• BRONZE – 26.35

After a thrilling morning swim that established a new national record in 25.47, multi-Olympic medalist Cate Campbell cooled the jets just a tad to finish with the 50m butterfly title in 25.51. That still comfortably clears the A cut and further give C1 fuel to give this event a solid shot in April.

30-year-old World Championships athlete Holly Barratt was also under the 26-second threshold, stopping the clock at 25.94, while Maddie Groves touched in 26.35 to claim the bronze.

Bronze medalist from the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games, Brittany Elmslie, found herself off the podium, winding up 5th with a time of 26.73.

MEN’S 50 FLY (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 22.73, Matt Targett, 2009
• ‘A’ Cut – 23.31
• ‘B’ Cut – 23.67
• GOLD – CAMERON JONES, 23.74
• SILVER – WILLIAM YANG, 23.86
• BRONZE – DAVID MORGAN, 23.94

The men’s 50m butterfly saw Cameron Jones snag the victory, earning a time of 23.74, just .04 quicker than his AM swim. Behind him was 19-year-old William Yang of Knox Pymble. Yang bumped up his standing from 3rd after prelims to 2nd place, touching in 23.86.

Also claiming a mark under the 24-second threshold was David Morgan, the butterfly maestro who competes at all 3 distances of the stroke. Morgan delved into 23-point territory for just the 2nd time of his career, earning a final time of 23.94 for the bronze.

MEN’S 100 BREAST (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 58.58, Brenton Rickard, 2009
• ‘A’ Cut – 59.24
• ‘B’ Cut – 1:00.35
• GOLD – JAKE PACKARD, 59.74
• SILVER – MATTHEW WILSON, 1:00.10
• BRONZE – LIAM HUNTER, 1:00.25

After firing off a top-5 career fastest mark of 59.57 to claim the #1 seed, Spartan swimmer Jake Packard remained as the only sub-minute swimmer tonight in a slightly slower time of 59.74. Australia came up medal-less in this event at the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games and would love to get a horse in the race against England’s Adam Peaty on their home turf come April.

Packard’s 59-pointer from this morning ranks as the 2nd fastest in the world this season, tied with China’s Qin Haiyang. Even with the Commonwealth Games 5 weeks out and the final still yet to contest tonight, it’s got to make Packard feel good to see his name ranked above the so-far untouchable Adam Peaty.

Matt Wilson improved on his 1:00.20 morning effort to take silver in 1:00.10 to add another medal to his 200m breaststroke gold from night 1, with Liam Hunter rounding out the top 3 in 1:00.25. That’s quicker than his 1:00.39, a mark which represented the first time the Chandler swimmer moved into 1:00-ground.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 52.06, Cate Campbell, 2016
• ‘A’ Cut – 53.20
• ‘B’ Cut – 54.90
• GOLD – CATE CAMPBELL, 52.37
• SILVER – BRONTE CAMPBELL, 52.96
• BRONZE – EMMA MCKEON, 53.49

Making yet another world-class 100m freestyle look easy was speed maestro Cate Campbell, taking the women’s race decisively in a time of 52.37. That matches her time produced at the NSW Championships and ranks her as #1 in the world, while also giving the Chandler swimmer her 5th LCM national title in this event. Additionally, tonight marks at least the 20th time the 25-year-old has clocked a 52-point effort, a landmark threshold she makes look routine.

Having taken time off after Rio and opted out of the 2017 World Championships, C1 says she is ‘at peace’ with swimming in both mind and body. That spirit is rubbing off on her sister, Bronte Campbell, as the 2015 double world champion also dipped under 53 seconds to notch a silver medal effort of 52.96. That’s Bronte’s first sub-53 second 100 freestyle since back in 2016, an indication that her broken-down body is indeed holding on until she can take her scheduled post-Commonwealth Games break.

Following up on her 2 silver medals from night 1 was Emma McKeon, claiming bronze in the race in a solid 53.49. The surprise came in 4th place finisher Brianna Throssell, however, as the 200m butterfly specialist notched a huge PB to wind up on the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Entering this meet Throssell’s 100m free personal best sat at 54.78, which she neared with her 54.80 morning outing. After missing out on the 200m fly roster spot last night, Throssell is most likely looking for any opportunity to put herself on the Aussie roster for the Games and she most likely achieved that in this race.

Also producing relay-worthy swims were 5th place Shayna Jack, who touched in 54.20 for 5th, while Brittany Elmslie, Emily Seebohm and Madi Wilson finished in that order with respective times of 54.43, 54.69 and 54.97.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 4:02.86, Ariarne Titmus, 2017
• ‘A’ Cut – 4:06.48
• ‘B’ Cut – 4:10.57
• GOLD – ARIARNE TITMUS, 4:02.36
• SILVER – JESS ASHWOOD, 4:07.73
• BRONZE – MIKKAYLA SHERIDAN, 4:10.85

17-year-old Ariarne Titmus already put on a show night 1 of these Australian Championships, winning the women’s 200m freestyle in a wicked-fast 1:55.76 and the Tasmanian teen was back it on night 2. Competing in the 400m freestyle, the event in which she finaled in Budapest, Titmus scorched a new personal best mark of 4:02.36 to establish a new Australian national record.

Entering tonight’s race, Titmus’ fastest was the 4:02.86 clocked at the Queensland Championships, a mark that surpassed the previous NR of 4:03.34 held by Jess Ashwood since 2015. Titmus’ 4:02.36 result this evening gives the teen her 2nd national title in as many days, as well as provides a 2nd Commonwealth Games qualifying cut.

Ashwood comfortably cleared the B standard, touching in 4:07.73 for 2nd, while Mikkayla Sheridan also landed on the podium with a bronze-worthy effort of 4:10.85.

MEN’S 100 FREE (FINAL)

• Australian National Record – 47.04, Cameron McEvoy, 2016
• ‘A’ Cut – 48.31
• ‘B’ Cut – 48.93
• GOLD – KYLE CHALMERS, 48.16
• SILVER – JACK CARTWRIGHT, 48.60
• BRONZE – CAMERON MCEVOY, 48.62

The 2 men on the bottom of the prelim order, Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers and fellow 19-year-old Jack Cartwright, rocketed to the top of the men’s 100m freestyle race to snag gold and silver when all was done and dusted.

Both men made it into the final by the skin of their teeth, tying for the final slot in matching morning times of 49.17. Tonight, however, the teens threw the speed down in a big way, with Chalmers dropping over a second to win in 48.16, while Cartwright was right behind in 48.60.

Finishing 3rd was Bond’s Cameron McEvoy, who was on a little road to redemption after finishing last in the final of the men’s 200m freestyle. McEvoy, who remains as the fastest 100m freestyler ever in a textile suit with his 2016 effort of 47.04, touched in a modest 48.62 to stake a claim to a relay spot.

Unfortunately for James Magnussen fans, the 26-year-old former 2-time world champion will not get a chance to defend his 2014 Commonwealth Games title in this event. The comeback kid indeed finished in the top 4, but manged just 48.79 to fall shy of a top 3 finish needed to qualify individually in the event.

For Chalmers, he has voiced concern over being seeing as a ‘one-hit wonder’ after claiming gold in Rio. His national title tonight, on top of his 200m freestyle title from night 1, leaves no doubt the kid is the real deal.