Ariarne Titmus No-Shows First Day of Australian Age Championships

2018 GEORGINA HOPE FOUNDATION AUSTRALIAN AGE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Saturday, April 21st – Saturday, April 28th
  • Sydney Olympic Park & Aquatic Centre
  • Prelims at 9am local/Finals at 6pm local
  • Selection event for Junior Pan Pacific Championships & Oceania Championships
  • LCM
  • Psych Sheets
  • Live Results

Commonwealth Games triple gold medalist Ariarne Titmus was a no-show on the first day of the 2018 Swimming Australia Age Group Championships, but none-the-less, 2 Australian Age Records still highlighted the day’s affairs.

The 16 & under girls’ 400 medley relay from St. Peters Western combined for a 4:10.82 victory – beating their seed by more than 10 seconds. In the process, the group of Shikira-Lee Matheson (1:04.87), Mia O’Leary (1:10.90), Michaela Ryan (58.61), and Jenna Forrester (56.44) took exactly 4 seconds off the old record of 4:14.82 done by Melbourne Vicentre in 2011. The old record-setting relay included current Australian National Teamer Hayley Baker on the leadoff backstroke leg.

Also breaking the Australian age standard was 15-year old Josh Smith, who swam a 2:02.04 in the boys’ 15-year olds 200 backstroke. He held off a hard-charging Thomas Hauck, who made up four-tenths of a full-second deficit on the last 50, but came up short. The old record of 2:02.54 was set by Nicholas Groenewald in 2013.

Titmus’ absence didn’t mean the meet was devoid of Commonwealth Games medalists. 17-year old Elijah Winnington, who was on Australia’s winning 800 free relay, swam and won the 17-18 boys’ 400 free, which he won in 3:48.26. That swim, a best time for him, ranks as the 5th-best 400 free in Australian history for 17 year olds, behind a star-studded quartet of Ian Thorpe, Mack Horton, Jordan Harrison, and Grant Hackett. This marks at least the 3rd-straight year in which Winnington has won an age championship in this event.

Live Stream Replay

Day 1 Prelims:

Day 1 Finals:

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Miss M
5 years ago

Laura Taylor (Com Games Silver 200 Fly) picked up silver in the 400 free and was 5th in the 50. Will be interesting to see what she can do in the 100 and 200. She could prove to be handy for the senior team 4×200 Free relay.

Joel
5 years ago

Pretty sure Josh Edwards- Smith broke an Australian age record in 15 years 200 back in a very exciting race

Verram
5 years ago

Wouldn’t Winnington a time be 7th best at least behind Kieren Perkins and David McKeon as well?

STRAIGHTBLACKLINE
Reply to  Verram
5 years ago

I can think of two more swimmers who have gone faster – Thomas-Fraser Holmes and Craig Stevens. Winnington’s time is good but it might not even be inside the top ten.

Captain Awesome
Reply to  Verram
5 years ago

Maybe they meant in the age group?

Togger
Reply to  Captain Awesome
5 years ago

Shows how strong that event has been in Aus that, if he were American, Winnington’s time would have been just over two seconds away from Larsen Jensen’s US age group record.

In Australia he’s 8 seconds away from the record with 6 boys ahead of him!

FLSwimmer
5 years ago

*17-18 boys’ 400 free*

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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