Shayna Jack Returns, 16-Yr-Old Flynn Southam Splits 21.85 In QLD

2021 QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, December 11th – Friday, December 17th
• Brisbane Aquatic Centre
• LCM (50m)
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• Entries
• Results
  • Individual Events
  • Club Relays

The 2021 Queensland Championships got underway at Brisbane Aquatic Centre today, with the competition marking once-banned Shayna Jack‘s return to racing.

The week-long championships also mark the first competition back for several Aussie Olympians including gold medalists Ariarne Titmus and Zac Stubblety-Cook. Tokyo teammates to the tune of 400m IM bronze medalist Brendon Smith and finalist Mitch Larkin are also expected to race throughout the meet.

For Jack, who is competing for the first time since the 2019 Australian World Championships Trials, the 23-year-old sprinter came back tonight in a golden way. Her St. Peters Western women’s 200m free relay topped the podium, with the foursome of Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan, Ella Ramsay and Abbey Harkin, posting a winning effort of 1:40.13.

Jack led off in a quick 24.63, a mark which ties her 7th best performance ever. The Dean Boxall-trained athlete owns a lifetime best of 24.38 in the individual 50m free event from April 2019.

17-year-old rising star O’Callaghan was also impressive with a 2nd leg of 24.51 before Ramsay and Harkin sealed the deal in respective efforts of 25.36 and 25.63. In fact, the squad’s 1:40.13 sits within striking distance of the Queensland All Comers Record of 1:39.94.

Of note, the aforementioned Titmus was in the water as well on St. Peters Western’s ‘B’ relay. Her team finished in 4th place with Titmus splitting 25.63 as the 2nd swimmer.

For the men’s edition of the 200m free relay, it was a mixed bag of experience on the Rackley squad which took gold. 26-year-old mainstay William Stockwell led-off in 2.74 followed by 23-year-old Louis Townsend keeping the speed going in 22.07.

Impressively matching that 22.07 was 17-year-old Isaac Cooper, the young backstroke rwho competed in Tokyo in the 100m distance (12th place) and mixed medley where he earned bronze as a prelims swimmer. For perspective, Cooper’s PB in the individual 50m free is 22.82 from Olympic Trials.

19-year-old Tommy Neill, another Olympian, scored the fastest split of the squad in 22.05. He’s never before been under 23 seconds individually, although his expertise lies in the mid-distance freestyle realm.

Further down the line in the bronze medal-winning Bond relay, 16-year-old Flynn Southam busted out a monster anchor of 21.85 for the quickest split of the entire field on any leg.

22.83 is Southam’s personal best in the individual 50m free and that was without having competed at this year’s Olympic Trials. The teen wanted to tend to his mental health and opted out of pursuing a Toky Olympic bid. Southam’s potential for disruption at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games rendered the ace included in our Stealthy Six group.

Other notable splits on the men’s side include Clyde Lewis hitting 23.06, Cody Simpson logging 22.45, Elijah Winnington posting 22.62.

St. Peters Western also nabbed the 200m medley relay win in 1:51.55 with O’Callaghan splitting 28.29 on backstroke, Harkin clocking 32.08 on breast, Ramsay posting 27.13 on fly and Jack ripping an anchor of 24.05.

Rackley once again took the top prize on the men’s medley side, with Cooper opening in 24.89, Townsend producing a time of 27.97 on breast, with Tom Jeffries at 24.42 on fly and Stockwell closing it out in 21.94.

Southam was impressive once again as the anchor of his Bond squad. Although they finished off the podium in 5th, the teen posted another sub-22 anchor in 21.93, once again as the fastest of the race.