2024 NSW State Open Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

  • World Record – 2:01.81, Liu Zige, China (2009)
  • Australian Record – 2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper (2009)
  • Commonwealth Record – 2:03.41, Jessicah Schipper (2009)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 2:07.72

GOLD – Abbey Connor, 2:06.59
SILVER – Brittany Castelluzzo, 2:09.34 & Bella Grant, 2:09.34

18-year-old Abbey Connor of USC Spartans ripped a big-time personal best en route to capturing 200m fly gold.

Connor stopped the clock in 2:06.59, beating her previous PB of 2:07.61 from last year’s Australian World Championships Trials by over a second.

Connor opened in 1:00.72 and brought it home in 1:05.87 to easily defeat the field. Brittany Castelluzzo and Bella Grant tied for runners-up. Both touched in 2:09.34 as the only other sub-2:10 swimmers in the field.

Connor is now the 9th-best Australian 200m fly performer in history and ranks 5th in the world this season. Additionally, her monster PB undercuts the Aussie Olympic Qualification Tmie of 2:07.72 which bodes well for what the teen may produce at June’s Trials,

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 Fly

SummerCAN
MCINTOSH
08/01
2:03.03
2Regan
SMITH
USA2:03.8408/01
3Yufei
Zhang
CHN2:05.0908/01
4Elizabeth Ann
Dekkers
AUS2:05.2004/18
5Alex
SHACKELL
USA2:06.1006/19
View Top 31»

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

  • World Record – 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (2021)
  • Australian Record – 50.25, Matthew Temple (2023)
  • Commonwealth Record – 50.25, Matthew Temple (2023)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 51.17

GOLD – Matt Temple, 50.61
SILVER – Shaun Champion, 51.97
BRONZE – Ben Armbruster, 52.50

National record holder Matt Temple did not disappoint in this men’s 100m butterfly, ripping a time of 50.61 for the win.

24-year-old Temple of Marion split 23.87/26.74 en route to putting up the 4th-quickest time of his career. His PB remains at the blistering 50.25 he logged at December’s Japan Open to become the 5th-best performer in history.

Top 5 Men’s LCM 100 Butterfly Performers All-Time

  1. Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 49.45, 2021
  2. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 49.68, 2021
  3. Michael Phelps (USA) – 49.82, 2009
  4. Milorad Cavic (SRB) – 49.95, 2009
  5. Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 50.14, 2023
  6. Matt Temple (AUS) – 50.25, 2023

Behind Temple this evening was 24-year-old Shaun Champion who turned in a time of 51.97 for his 5th outing under the 52-second barrier.

Bond’s Ben Armbruster also landed on the podium in 52.50 for bronze while Cody Simpson settled for 4th in 52.78.

The Swimming Australia-mandated Olympic QT sits at a stiff 51.17 which means all but Temple have their work cut out for them at June’s Trials.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

  • World Record – 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (2023)
  • Australian Record – 30.05, Chelsea Hodges (2022)
  • Commonwealth Record – 29.72, Lara van Niekerk (2022)

GOLD – Sienna Toohey, 31.34
SILVER – Tara Kinder, 31.64
BRONZE – Mia O’Leary, 31.70

Although no woman broke the 31-second barrier in this women’s 50m breast, 15-year-old Sienna Toohey registered a personal best of 31.34 to grab the gold.

That sliced .21 off the teen’s previous career-quickest 31.54 from last month’s NSW Country Championships and represents a new Aussie Age Group Record.

Her performance is par for the course at this competition, as Toohey already notched  a personal-best 1:07.97 in Friday’s 100 breast final that scared Leisel Jones‘ legendary national age group record (1:07.49) from 2000 and placed 2nd behind Jenna Strauch (1:07.59), who’s absent from the 50 breast today.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

  • World Record – 2:05.48, Qin Haiyang (2023)
  • Australian Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook (2022)
  • Commonwealth Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook (2022)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 2:09.50

GOLD – Matt Wilson, 2:09.87
SILVER – Joshua Collett, 2:13.13
BRONZE – Angus Menzies, 2:13.49

25-year-old Matt Wilson, a former world record holder in the men’s 200m breast, got to the wall well ahead of the pack to top the podium.

SOSC’s Wilson touched in 2:09.87 as the sole swimmer under 2:13, splitting 1:01.70/1:08.17 in the process.

That’s a solid effort from Wilson who has had a series of down years since the 2020 Olympic Games. It’s his first foray under the 2:10 barrier since Tokyo.

His personal best 2:06.67 from 2019 stood as the world record for just under 24 hours at that year’s World Championships until Russian Anton Chupkov dropped it down to 2:06.12 in Gwangju.

Wilson checks in as the 16th-ranked swimmer in the world this season.

Collett’s 2:13.13 represents a new lifetime best for the 20-year-old Bond swimmer, overtaking his previous PB of 2:15.23 from last summer’s Australian Trials.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • World Record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan (2023)
  • Australian Record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan (2023)
  • Commonwealth Record – 1:52.85, Mollie O’Callaghan (2023)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 1:56.59

GOLD – Mollie O’Callaghan, 1:54.76
SILVER – Ariarne Titmus, 1:55.81
BRONZE – Lani Pallister, 1:55.92

Reigning world record holder Mollie O’Callaghan busted out a winning time of 1:54.76 to earn gold in this stacked women’s 200m free final.

The 19-year-old St. Peters Western star beat the pack by over a second, as 400m free world record holder Ariarne Titmus settled for silver in 1:55.81.

As fast as MOC’s time was this evening, her season-best remains at the 1:54.36 she scorched at December’s Queensland Championships. Worldwide, only Olympic silver medalist Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong has been faster in 1:54.08.

MOC ripped the world record of 1:52.85 at the 2023 World Championships.

As for Titmus, the 23-year-old teammate of MOC under coach Dean Boxall scored a new season-best of 1:55.81. That undercut the 1:55.99 she posted at the QLD Championships. She maintains her position of 8th in the world rankings.

She owns a lifetime best of 1:53.01 from her runner-up finish at last year’s World Championships behind O’Callaghan.

Bagging bronze was Lani Pallister who just put her hat in the ring big-time for a coveted slot on the women’s 4x200m free relay.

21-year-old Pallister threw down a mark of 1:55.92 to clock her first-ever performance under the 1:56 barrier. She split 56.95/58.97 to earn a medal ahead of Kaylee McKeown who placed 4th in 1:56.06 after her triple event lineup during this morning’s heats.

McKeown’s time also represents a lifetime best, just a hair under the versatile swimmer’s previous PB of 1:56.14.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • World Record – 20.91, Cesar Cielo (2009)
  • Australian Record – 21.06, Cam McEvoy (2023)
  • Commonwealth Record – 21.06, Cam McEvoy (2023)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 21.88

GOLD – Thomas Nowakowski, 22.09
SILVER – Matt Temple, 22.37
BRONZE – Jamie Jack, 22.45

Nothing crazy happened in the men’s splash n’ dash as no competitor dipped under the 22-second threshold.

USC Spartan Thomas Nowakowski kept his pole position, earning gold in a nearly identical time as this morning. He was 22.10 in the AM and 22.09 tonight.

Off his 100m fly victory, Temple snagged silver in 22.37. St. Peters Western’s Jamie Jack rounded out the podium in 22.45.

For Temple, that’s a new lifetime best, crushing his previous PB of 22.72 from 2 years ago.

18-year-old Flynn Southam posted 22.52 as the 4th-place finisher after earning gold in the 200m free on night 2.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

  • World Record – 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (2015)
  • Australian Record – 2:07.03, Stephanie Rice (2009)
  • Commonwealth Record – 2:06.88, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (2016)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 2:10.62

GOLD –  Kaylee McKeown, 2:08.84
SILVER – Isabella Boyd, 2:13.77
BRONZE – Gina McCarthy, 2:15.63

Just a handful of events after the 200m free, McKeown raced her way to gold in the women’s 200m IM. This marks the 22-year-old’s 5th race of the day after her morning triple and earlier final.

McKeown touched in 2:08.84 as the victor, with Isabella Boyd the next-closest finisher well back in 2:13.77.

McKeown’s personal best rests at the 2:07.19 nabbed at last year’s Sydney Open to become the #2 Australian in history behind national record holder Stephanie Rice. Her season-best sits at the 2:07.54 produced at December’s Queensland Championships.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

  • World Record – 4:02.50, Leon Marchand (2023)
  • Australian Record – 4:09.27, Brendon Smith (2021)
  • Commonwealth Record – 4:08.70, Lewis Clareburt (2022)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 4:12.50

GOLD – William Petric, 4:14.07
SILVER – Brendon Smith, 4:19.58
BRONZE – Marco Soesanto, 4:24.35

The top two finishers out of the heats maintained their positions in this men’s 400m IM, led by 19-year-old William Petric.

Nunawading’s Petric stopped the clock in 4:14.07 to blast the field by over 5 seconds, one which included Australian national record holder Brendon Smith.

Smith settled for silver in 4:19.58 and Marco Soesanto upgraded from his 4th seed to bag bronze in 4;24.35.

Smith’s best time stands at 4:09.27 from 2021 while Petric’s result this evening checks in as a personal best. Entering these championships, the teen’s PB rested at the 4:14.48 from December.

Smith is also the reigning Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo where he notched 4:09.27 as his one and only outing ever under the 4:10 barrier.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

GOLD – Kaylee McKeown, 27.25
SILVER – Ainsley Trotter, 28.05
BRONZE – Elizabeth Gan – 28.61

World record holder McKeown completed her trifecta of events, doubling up on her 200m IM gold with a victory in this 50m back sprint.

McKeown touched in 27.25 to get to the wall nearly a full second ahead of the field. Ainsley Trotter notched 28.05 for silver and Elizabeth Gan hit 28.61 for bronze.

McKeown’s World Record stands at 26.86 from last year. 16-year-old Trotter of Bond shaved .04 off of her previous career-quickest 28.09 from April of last year.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

  • World Record – 51.60, Thomas Ceccon (2022)
  • Australian Record – 52.11, Mitch Larkin (2015)
  • Commonwealth Record – 52.11, Mitch Larkin (2015)
  • Australian Olympic QT – 53.21

GOLD – William Yang, 54.88
SILVER – Lewis Blackburn, 55.32
BRONZE – Se-Bom Lee, 55.88

In another solid swim coming back from back surgery last year to remove a benign tumor on his spineWilliam Yang topped the men’s 100m back podium in a time of 54.88.

The 25-year-old notched the sole sub-55-second result of the field with Lewis Blackburn capturing silver in 55.32 and Se-Bom Lee also on the podium in 55.88.

Yang’s PB rests at the 53.59 put up in 2019 while Blackburn was much closer to his PB of 55.11 from 2022. Lee improved from his 5th seed from the morning heats.

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Danpitameyer
8 months ago

Huge for Temple

23/51/1:52
8 months ago

Mollie joins Cate and a few others as an Allianz Olympic Ambassador.

commonwombat
8 months ago

Thoughts from another continent.

W200FLY: Was thinking 2.07 after Connor’s heat swim but 2.06.5 = significant pleasant surprise. The QT for this event is relatively soft so a 2nd qualifier was always likely but this is very much finals country ….. and would’ve won gold in Doha.

M100FLY: Temple’s consistency in the 50 range has to be respected. 2nd spot remains as clear as mud. World Aquatics mark is “doable” but struggling to see anyone hitting AUS QT. They’ll clearly take a 2nd swimmer but will they actually risk swimming them in 4XMED heats given the questionable front end ?

W50BRS: OK, it’s non Olympic but Toohey does appear very impressive. From the evidence currently to hand, she does appear… Read more »

Sub13
Reply to  commonwombat
8 months ago

27.25 isn’t Ho hum. It would mark the 16th fastest performer all time if she wasn’t already faster, and she did it after 2x200s in the same session!

commonwombat
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

It’s only “ho hum” in the context of who swam it and her slate of 50 back times over the past 12 months. I was most certainly not intended as any kind of “knock”.

Sub13
Reply to  commonwombat
8 months ago

I didn’t think you were knocking her at all. I just meant the swim itself is objectively great, and the context makes it even better

AsianAussieAmerican
Reply to  commonwombat
8 months ago

Petric is 19 so I wouldn’t say he hasn’t delivered. Still plenty of opportunity for growth and glad it’s coming together for him in Olympic year.

Swemmer
8 months ago

MOC and Pallister looking very good in season here

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  Swemmer
8 months ago

Pallister is who impressed/surprised me the most. Hoping this is indicative of yet another step up for her come trials/games

Swemmer
8 months ago

Love to see Temple keep up the absolutely insane consistency.

Not even Dressel swims 50 over and over again in season

U turn
8 months ago

What are next biggest meets for the Aussies before trials?

Torchbearer
Reply to  U turn
8 months ago

The Australian Championships/ Age Championships… April 06-20….

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  U turn
8 months ago

national age 6-14 April
national open 17-20 April
sydney open 9-11 May

Sub13
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
8 months ago

I feel like Nationals won’t be much fireworks but Sydney will be the barn burner

Personal Best
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

I’ve been wondering about that – Sydney is the final tune up, but given its proximity to Nationals, would many swimmers opt to compete?

Last edited 8 months ago by Personal Best
Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

I think different athletes will have different plans resulting in some letting off some fireworks at nationals, some at Sydney Open and the rest not showing what they’ve got until trials.

Sub13
8 months ago

Lol people going and mass downvoting anything positive about Kaylee. I can’t wait for the reaction in Paris

Kitajima Fan
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

I can’t wait to see a massive Aussie meltdown

Swemmer
Reply to  Kitajima Fan
8 months ago

Cope

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

Best not to be overconfident.

Sub13
Reply to  Troyy
8 months ago

I’m not. I’m just laughing at the people who are raging at the success of someone they don’t want to do well.

Like this article is specifically about an Australian meet and people come on here just to whine about Australia. Like get a hobby lol

Last edited 8 months ago by Sub13
Go Bucky
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

I guess I feel like the comments about Kaylee across the board are generally very positive. So I don’t get where this manufactured rage is coming from? Is 10-11 downvotes (which it looks like right now) really “mass downvoting?” You’ve got a serious chip on your shoulder, mate

Last edited 8 months ago by Go Bucky
Sub13
Reply to  Go Bucky
8 months ago

They are absolutely very positive across the board. I’m just having fun with the small group that hate seeing her succeed. And the more I point it out the madder they get. I’m going to be absolutely insufferable if she pulls off a great Paris Olympics haha.

I wouldn’t call it a chip on my shoulder but more like baiting the trolls for fun

Yikes
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

Yeah I’ve found that the more comments are about downvotes the more the downvotes multiply. I guess it’s true what they say about feeding trolls

Paul
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

They’re downvoting YOU. Not Kaylee. Your smug arrogance gets a little old. You have to be the kind of kid that was a total punk on the playground. Kaylee is great. You’re a blowhard.

Sub13
Reply to  Paul
8 months ago

Hahaha. They’re really not though. Most of my comments have no downvotes, it’s all targeted at any posts praising Kaylee. But don’t let the truth get in the way of your whining!

Go Bucky
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

I mean, it’s probably one person doing it over and over. The up/down votes on this site are easily gamed and meaningless IMO. Kaylee is an extremely admirable person and performer and I’ve seen that reiterated many times on this site.

snailSpace
Reply to  Go Bucky
8 months ago

Spot on.

Sub13
Reply to  Go Bucky
8 months ago

You’re probably right. But I’m just having fun with it. I might take it too far occasionally

Personal Best
Reply to  Paul
8 months ago

That’s not entirely true. Other people’s comments about Kaylee – very innocuous comments too, are similarly downvoted, mine included, and I hardly post here.

What’s smug about saying ‘Kaylee is testing the schedule for the Olympics with her double’?

Pan Fan
Reply to  Paul
8 months ago

Are you blind?

It’s not only Sub13 comments that get downvoted in this thread.

It’s all comments that talked positively about Kaylee

Personal Best
8 months ago

Temple’s is probably the most impressive swim from tonight’s results, for me.

The women’s 200 free however had the best overall results in my opinion.

Sub13
Reply to  Personal Best
8 months ago

If you’re talking about future potential: absolutely. We all knew MOC and Titmus would drop decent times in the 200. Kaylee and Lani small PBs were a bonus but nothing crazy. Temple consistently swimming 50s in season means he possibly has 49 potential. If Dressel doesn’t get back to his best a 49 high could win gold and it could be Temple

Lisa
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

Dressel in season swims is usually slow and I wouldn’t count him out and he usually at his best at trials and at the big meet.

Sub13
Reply to  Lisa
8 months ago

I’m not counting him out at all. That’s why I said “if he doesn’t get back to his best”. He very well might get there

Lisa
Reply to  Sub13
8 months ago

But he’s already there and that 51.2 doesn’t tell the whole story and usually his in season swim is a little bit slow especially on a meet like a pro swim cause it happened in the past and 21.8 on 50 free by beating Alexy proves he still has what it takes to win for a guy that took a break for eight months.

Last edited 8 months ago by Lisa

About Retta Race

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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