18-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan stole the show in many events at the Australian Trials a few weeks ago, quickly becoming one of the top women’s sprinters in the world. In fact, O’Callaghan posted the top time in the world this year in the LCM 100 free at Trials, clocking a blistering personal best of 52.49.
2021-2022 LCM Women 100 Free
O'Callaghan
52.49
| 2 | Shayna Jack | AUS | 52.60 | 03/18 |
| 3 | Sarah Sjostrom | SWE | 52.80 | 06/23 |
| 4 | Torri Huske | USA | 52.92 | 06/23 |
| 5 | Emma McKeon | AUS | 52.94 | 08/02 |
O’Callaghan has since revealed more about her event schedules for the upcoming World Championships and Commonwealth Games. For Worlds, which begin in just a few weeks, O’Callaghan will be forgoing the backstroke events, despite qualifying for all 3 at Trials, and instead will be focusing on her freestyle races.
O’Callaghan put up competitive times in the back events at Aussie Trials last month, winning the 50 back in 27.46, taking 2nd in the 100 back in 59.12, and 2nd in the 200 back with a 2:08.48. Her 50 back was particularly notable, as she’s currently 7th in the world this year, and 5th among those who will be competing at Worlds.
Despite opting out of the backstroke events, the 18-year-old O’Callaghan will still have a busy schedule in Budapest, featuring the 100 free and 200 free individually, as well as the women’s 4×100 free relay, 4×200 free relay, and 4×100 medley relay, and potentially mixed relays as well.
O’Callaghan hasn’t yet made her Commonwealth Games schedule known, but if she’s sitting out of the backstroke events at Worlds, there’s a chance she’ll at least do a back race or two in Birmingham.
In terms of her two individual events for Worlds, O’Callaghan has a real shot at Gold medals in both. In the 100 free, she enters as the top seed, and one of only two swimmers who have been under 53 seconds this year. In the 200 free, neither Ariarne Titmus or Katie Ledecky, the top two women’s 200 freestylers currently, will be racing. That leaves O’Callaghan with a great opportunity to top the field.
Good decision but wish it could’ve been made slightly earlier so others would get the opportunity to fill the spots… not sure how it will work out now with just over 2 weeks to go
You do realise the SA officials and coaches basically make these decisions and the timing is just a ploy to allow them not to take the third person. They obviously don’t want to take the third place finishe. FINA should put all unused slots in a pot and give whild cards to the top 5 swimmers in world rankings who have qualified in other events. That would stop the stupid situations such as Tokyo having 16 women in 2Fly.
why is this the case? does it have to do with having to pay for swimmers who they know aren’t going to medal anyway?
What do you mean by ‘unused slots’? As far as I know, each event doesn’t have an allocated number of slots. Anyone who meets the qualifying time and their country hasn’t filled the maximum 2 spots can enter. Filling every potential ‘unused’ slot would literally be hundreds of swimmers?
Great decision.
Quality > Quantity.
Because she’s on the team, I’d recommend Wilson entering either the 100m or 200m backstroke for a hit out in the heats.
She has the QT for the 100 back from last year so might be a good idea.
Wilson has plenty of races. She’ll be in heats and finals of the 4×100 free, finals of the 4×200 free, hopefully heats, semis and finals of the 200 free, heats of the medley (swimming backstroke), and if Australia swim them heats of both mixed relays.
Where did the speculation come from that Australia won’t swim the mixed events? I get that Australia probably won’t make them a priority, but they’re defending a gold and silver medal from last WCs, and are likely to win the mixed free and likely to medal in the mixed medley.
Damn. I wanted to see the Bottom Dweller’s back
Darn it…
Atherton at last
Was the source for this the article I posted in the comments of the 100 free prediction article?
A decision that had to be made, although it does AUS exposed on W back with McKeown potentially having to swim both heats and final of 4XMED; but this was probably already the case given MOC would most likely be anchoring finals lineup.
Will also be interested to see the amount of pruning done to her CG schedule. Granted the limited depth of many fields; her schedule would still be insane.
McKeown won’t be swimming relay heats. Wilson is an individual WC silver medallist in 100 back and only has one individual event which doesn’t clash with any relays. I assume they will use her. Someone else suggested they could add Atherton to the team since she made the QT and was third in the 200 back but I’m not sure if it’s too late for that.
Wilson would be an obvious choice except for one complication …… just how much backstroke work has she been doing ? One would hope she’s been doing sufficient and that this MOC decision was flagged ahead of time but Wilson certainly did NOT swim any backstroke at this year’s Trials. She did have a bit of a run at backstroke qualification last year (a 59flat) but she didn’t swim any backstroke during ISL
I stand corrected, she did swim 50 back prelims at Trials. Given that Atherton seems really “off”, Wilson (with some more backstroke work) may prove a safer option. Not ideal but if she can produce something sub 1.00; they’re likely to get through given a number of other teams are looking worse off on backstroke.