Chalmers Fires Sub-48 World Championships Warning Shot At NSW C’ships

Lilly King By Jack SpitserDressel

2019 NSW STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Where to begin on day 1 of the 2019 New South Wales State Open Championships, as World Championships shots were fired by the Aussies on several levels. With powerhouse athletes to the tune of Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton in the water, there was sure to be a feeding frenzy of energy as each performance builds off the previous, as was the case at SOPAC tonight.

It was 2-time reigning World Junior Record holder Elijah Winnington who got things started off on a speedy note, with the 18-year-old crushing a time of 3:48.68 to take the men’s 400m freestyle. His time tonight checks-in as the 4th fastest of his young career, with his personal best resting at the 3:45.98 set at last year’s Pan Pacific Championships Trials. He more recently put up another impressive outing with the 3:47.44 produced at the Queensland Championships last December.

Winnington’s effort tonight was able to hold off the aforementioned Horton, who settled for bronze in 3:50.94. Olympic champion in this event, Horton is biding his time to make the ultimate strike at next month’s Australian Nationals.

Splitting the Aussies in the race was visiting Malaysian National Record holder Welson Sim. Sim chased the Aussie all the way to a new national standard en route to silver, ultimately snagging silver in a time of 3:49.29. That slid under Sim’s old NR mark of 3:49.48 set almost 2 years ago on the 2017 Mare Nostrum Tour.

18-year-old Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Lewis Clareburt earned the win in the men’s 200m fly in 1:57.91. That’s the swimmers’ fastest time to-date, beating out the 1:57.36 he threw down at last year’s Pan Pacific Championships for 8th place.

Nunawading’s Jess Hansen was already on the board world rankings-wise with a 100m breaststroke result of 1:07.62 from last month’s Vic Open. But Hansen surged under the 1:06-threshold tonight to punch a mark of 1:06.91, taking gold in a new NSE State Record. The old mark stood at 1:07.04 set by Samantha Marshall back in 2010.

Hansen now sits as the 3rd fastest swimmer in the world in the event this season.

2018-2019 LCM WOMEN 100 BREAST

LillyUSA
KING
07/23
1.04.93
2Yuliya
EFIMOVA
RUS1.05.4907/23
3Annie
LAZOR
USA1.06.0305/17
4Reona
AOKI
JPN1.06.3007/22
5Tatjana
SCHOENMAKER
RSA1.06.3207/12
View Top 26»

Finishing strongly behind her was 27-year-old Leiston Pickett, who picked up silver in 1:07.84, good enough for 10th in the world, while Jenna Strauch rounded out the top 3 in 1:10.12. Olympic finalist in the 200m breast, Taylor McKeown, finished 5th in 1:10.53.

Pan Pacific Championships wrecking ball Cate Campbell took the women’s 100m freestyle by half a second in a winning effort of 53.21. That’s the 26-year-old’s fastest this season and puts her in the #2 spot in the world rankings just above Sarah Sjostrom’s 53.29. C1 took this event last year in Tokyo in a scorching 52.03, an Oceanic Record.

Emma McKeon was another sub-54 second swimmer tonight, clocking 53.73 for silver, while Bronte Campbell took bronze in 53.81. Of note, Madi Wilson produced a very solid 53.92, as the Olympic backstroke finalist looks to be fully transitioning to freestyle as her primary stroke now.

The men’s 100m free saw the world’s first 47-point time of the season, as Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers showed no remorse in hitting the wall in a wicked-fast 47.89. Splitting 23.10/24.79, Chalmers had clean water the whole way, as the next fastest swimmer was Somerset’s James Roberts who touched in 49.60.

The fastest textile 100m freestyler ever, Cameron McEvoyalso made it onto the podium with a 49.72 mark for bronze.

For Chalmers, tonight’s outing represents the 2nd fastest time of the young man’s career. His only swifter mark was represented by the 47.58 time that garnered the South Australian the Olympic gold medal. Chalmers now represents the only sub-48 second swimmer in the world this season.

2018-2019 LCM MEN 100 FREE

2Kyle
CHALMERS
AUS47.0807/25
3Ryan
HELD
USA47.3907/31
4Vladislav
GRINEV
RUS47.4304/09
5Maxime
ROONEY
USA47.6107/31
View Top 27»

Teenager Kaylee McKeown already put up a solid 200m back outing at the Queensland Championships, where her 2:09.47 produced there renders her the 4th fastest athlete in the world this season. But the 17-year-old was just as close tonight, produced a winning time of 2:09.49 to easily stand atop the podium in the event by almost 4 solid seconds.

Additional Winners:

  • The men’s 50m back saw William Yang of Ravenswood reap the win in 25.11. That’s a big-time personal best, shaving .27 off his previous career-fastest.
  • Kiah Melverton, Australian Open Water National Championships runner-up, took the 800m free tonight in 8:37.54.
  • Visiting Czech swimmer Barbora Zavadova was successful in the women’s 400m IM, earning gold in 4:46.11. That was just .40 faster than runner-up Sophie Caldwell, who touched in 4:46.51 as the fastest Australian.
  • 31-year-old racing mainstay Holly Barratt won the women’s 50m fly in a mark of 26.08. That fell just .06 off of the NSW record of 26.02 held by Libby Trickett since 2009. McKeon finished in 26.29 for silver, while Yolane Kukla also took a medal in 26.71 for bronze.
  • Matthew Wilson beat the men’s 50m breast field, clocking 28.10 for the win.

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Torchbearer
5 years ago

Some really fast times there, not just Kyle, but Cate, Bronte, (back from surgery) and Hansen building to help the Womens Medley relay prospects.

Verram
Reply to  Torchbearer
5 years ago

What would help the medley even more is if mckeon can manage to crack the 56s barrier in the 100 fly because it will be a close fight in Tokyo

John26
5 years ago

Is this the fastest 100free we’ve seen in-season since Magnussen was going seasons bests in January?

Verram
Reply to  John26
5 years ago

I think it’s right up there with Ning Zetao and Vlad Morozov used to swim 47.6 and 47.9 back in the day

Mike
Reply to  Verram
5 years ago

McEvoy before his 47.04 he swam a 47.65 in January

MaxN96
Reply to  Mike
5 years ago

Think it was actually 47.56 in Jan as it was a pb at the time. Big things from chalmers at trials?

Swimmer
5 years ago

I didn’t know Yolane Kukla was still swimming – good on her after a tough few years.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

If you love the sport you’re going to stay with it as long as you can 🙂

Dee
5 years ago

Stayed quiet when people were on his back last year; He has struggled with motivation and injuries, but when he is fit & firing he is the best 100/200 freestyler in the world. He’ll throw it down hard against Dressel over the next 2 years.

DRAMA KING
5 years ago

I think now we are seeing Prime King Kyle. In 2016 Rio, we saw this man breaks out and wins the Olympic Gold. 2017 was supposed to be his golden year of domination. However, it didnt turn out becoz of his heart isuues. 2018 was recovery year.
If everything goes well, we could see a historic year of racing from this man along with his competitors.

Mr Piano
Reply to  DRAMA KING
5 years ago

Not sure if he would have beaten Dressel in 2017, but he did in 2018, and this year will be exciting!

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Mr Piano
5 years ago

I don’t think we’re going to see 2017 Dressel again. Just like we’re not seeing 2016 Schooling again.

Aquajosh
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
5 years ago

Did you miss the part where he swam his best in season times ever just about a week ago?

bear drinks beer
5 years ago

KING KYLE is back!

Verram
5 years ago

I wonder what’s happened with David mckeon ? His sister is swimming the meet and his dad Ron mckeon was also there presenting medals

I wonder if David has retired

Admin
Reply to  Verram
5 years ago

I believe he returned to training in February after maybe an injury? Not positive on the injury, but I think I saw on his social that he had returned to training in February.

Verram
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

I think for Tokyo he needs to make sure to keep up with the likes Horton jack McLaughlin and Elijah winnington .. A’s it is only 2 of those his will qualify in the men’s 400m free and Olympic champ Horton could easily miss out himself if he has another off swim

Observer
5 years ago

Cate Campbell split a 52.40 on a relay too

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Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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