Day two of the 2013 Australian Age Championships in Adelaide, South Australia were just as exciting as the first day was, with another National Age Record going down.
Once again, the men’s backstroke records continued to be the primary targets. On Tuesday, it was 17-year old Alexander Graham who rang the bell in the 17-18 100 meter backstroke in 54.87; that breaks Daniel Armamnart’s 2007 record of 54.99 for his age, and is actually faster than the 18-year olds record as well (though he’ll have to repeat the swim next year to get that one).
The time also makes him the 4th-fastest Australian this year, and within striking distance of a spot on the World Championship team. Regan Leong, a great sprint freestyler, was 2nd in 526.18, with East Brisbane’s Robert Gerlach taking 3rd in 56.70.
That was the only true National Age record, though St. Peters Western’s Cameron Jones did get an All-Comers record in the 16-year old boys’ 50 freestyle in 22.64. The Australians keep age group records both for times done by Australians, as well as for the fastest swims done on Australian soil (given the popularity of Asian swimmers coming to Australia to train and compete). The previous best 50 done in Australia was a 22.76 done by Cameron McEvoy in 2011; the fastest by any 16-year old Aussie remains Tae Haumi Maxwell in 22.48.
Mack Horton won the boys’ 400 free in 3:52.33; while that’s miles from Ian Thorpe’s record, it is a fantastic swim for anybody else at such a young age. That’s right around what top college recruit Reed Malone went as the fastest American 16-year old in 2012. Hayden Hinds-Sydenham was 2nd in 4:00.31
On the girls’ side of the pool, among the standouts was another very good young sprinter in Jemma Schlicht. She won the 15-year old girls’ 100 free in 55.92. Ami Matsuo (who won the aforementioned race last season) is now 16, and she took the 50 free in that age group in 25.57, just a tenth ahead of Clayfield’s Chelsea Gillett.
Monique Rae from Cranbrook ran away with the 14-year old girls’ 200 backstroke title in 2:12.68. This was actually a close race between her and Clayfield’s Amy Forrester, but Rae took off on the final 50 to split 32.98. Rae won by three-and-a-half seconds after the two were basically tied at the 100 meter mark.
That swim for Rae came within half-a-second of Forrester’s National Age Record. American Elizabeth Beisel, interestingly, has the all-comers mark from the 2007 World Championships.
Jenna Strauch won the girls’ 16-year olds 100 breaststroke in 1:08.94, three seconds better than anybody else in the race was, and finally, Taylor McKeown repeated as champion of the 17-18 400 IM in 4:45.05.
