2023 AUSTRALIAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS
- Tuesday, June 13th – Sunday, June 18th
- Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships Selection Criteria
- Meet Central
- Final Start List
The 2023 Australian World Championship Trials begin tomorrow, Tuesday, June 13th, with all eyes on the elite talent ready to do what’s necessary to qualify for Fukuoka.
As a refresher, after following the FINA time standards for the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Swimming Australia has reverted to its prior practices of setting its own qualification times which, in most cases, are faster than the FINA ‘A’ time standards.
However, Australian national head coach Rohan Taylor is confident his swimmers will rise to the occasion with the prospect of a World Record at the competition not outside the realm of possibilities.
“There’s always that opportunity for world records if you’re talking about Australians,” Taylor told the media. “There’s no discussions about it … but at the same time, I didn’t see (Kaylee McKeown‘s) coming.
“We’ll take anything we can get, but the most important thing will be to swim fast at the trials then repeat at the benchmark meet (in Fukuoka).” (Reuters)
Kaylee McKeown downed the women’s 200m back World Record at the New South Wales State Open Championships in March, crushing a time of 2:03.14.
The 21-year-old is entered in a total of 5 events for these Trials, with her bread-and-butter 50m/100m/200m backstroke races among them. We reported how, along with the 200m IM, McKeown also appears to be gunning for a spot on the women’s 4x200m free relay, opting to add the individual 200m free to her repertoire in Melbourne.
But McKeown isn’t the only female superstar ready to make her mark on these Trials. Former World Record holder Ariarne Titmus is seeking to send a statement to teenage 400m freestyle rival Summer McIntosh.
Canada’s McIntosh overtook Titmus’ World Record in the 400m free at her nation’s Trials in March producing a time of 3:56.08.
On the phenom’s marker, Taylor said “Summer’s an exceptional athlete who has been doing some fantastic things and that’s what makes our sport engaging.
“As far as Arnie (Titmus) goes, she’s shown her competitive desire to be the best and I would assume (McIntosh) would motivate her to continue to do that.
“As a competitive person, anybody swimming fast in the events that you compete in are part of that competitive motivation.” (Reuters)
Titmus originally set the 400m free World Record while competing at the 2022 Australian National Championships, the meet which served as the qualification competition for last year’s World Championships in Budapest. We’ll see if the Tasmanian native can repeat a stellar performance in Melbourne, with the 400m free taking place on the very first day.
Despite the click-bait headline, Taylor is actually taking a very “grounded” line. There are clear possibilities but possibilities are not the same of probabilities, let alone certainties. We could see a couple; we could also find this meet proving a complete ‘air swing’ in that regard.
McKeown has been flying all year with MOC sending in some formidable swims and Forrester being the “big mover” yet it cannot be said that its been one squad flying and others foxing. Rather its been the case of differing approaches inside the same squads with the likes of Titmus & McKeon not really firing any serious shots (at least by their standards).
Not seeing any likely WR potential on the men’s side unless… Read more »
The women’s 50 back record seems ripe for the taking.
I’m sure there will be lots of WRs to fall with the length of pool they have down there!
Sure grandpa let’s get you to bed.
That photo shows just how high Chalmers lifts his body when he breathes. Popovici does this, too. This is generally thought to be a “flaw”, but maybe there’s something beneficial to it?
This picture is probably a breakout stroke, but I see what you’re saying.
Trials is such a nice meet, things happen fast and each day is interesting.
The event spread is nice, very few awkward doubles for the top dogs.
Regarding the QT’s there are some touchy events for sure:
M50F
M100BK (relay safe)
M100BR (relay safe)
M200FLY
M200IM
W100BR (relay safe)
W200BR
We might not take anybody in the 50 breast, and there are more events where 2 QT’s are questionable, like W200BK. Then there are even events in which 2 FINA A cuts are looking quite dire. Overall this team does have top level potential, but depth, especially with key form strokers injured is a real problem. If only some of our freestyle depth was spread out.
There are quite a few records in play at trials depending on how it all goes. Men’s 200 Breast, 400 Free and Women’s 200/400 Free, 50/100/200 Back and 200IM all seem realistically possible.
Other than those I’m expecting a few Aus/Oc records to go down.
T minus 12 hours
Mens 50 Back
LOL mens 50 back? I think Cooper has an outside shot at breaking 24 but he ain’t going under 23.71
I definitely see a PB from Cooper but haven’t seen anything that suggests WR is in play for him
I’d be shocked if McKeown drops another second in the 200 IM after just dropping a second last month
She should be, however, in theory, capable of a 0.5-0.6 drop at a full taper and produce a 2:06 mid on the first day of trials.
Fair. Her swim last month wasn’t perfect and wasn’t tapered so I would say it’s realistically possible, but not necessarily likely.
What Rohan needs to do is get his act together on the selection of relays under his watch their has been some huge calamities at international meets the women’s 4 x 200 free at the Olympics with the order all wrong a glaring example
OMG Kevin you are a bloody drama queen.
The 4×200 wasn’t a “huge calamity” in Tokyo. The strategy they used was legit, the order they used was legit, the 2 teams that beat them were legit.
Not often you come third and still break the WR.
Settle down bro.
Putting your worst swimmer on the anchor leg goes against everything the sport has ever showed us so it’s certainly not legit
AUS has traditionally been operating from a position of weakness in W4X200 vs USA; thus they became locked in to the tactic of front-end loading their quartet by swimming their fastest swimmers first; hopefully putting them into clear water …. then hoping they can hold off the field. Its a very common relay strategy and certainly “legit”; whether it was the CORRECT decision …. another question entirely.
Whilst the head coach ‘signs off’ on relay line-ups, they are inevitably run past the coaches as a group but rarely is it the case that they drastically alter the calls made by the coach in charge of the specific relay; in this case it was Boxall.
They (AUS coaches as a group)… Read more »
I think that was more Dean Boxall in that 4×200 he was in charge of it for Tokyo
He is no Jacco Verhaeran, that must be said.
The same system was in place with Taylor as under Verhaeren. Relays will be under specific coaches and whilst their line-ups/orders will go to the committee of coaches and be signed off by the head coach; rarely are there major changes made.
Where WERE these foul-ups perpetrated by Verhaeren ? The only Rio case that was controversial was that of M4X200; and that had swimmers withdrawing plus the reality of certain members with “equivocal” records. There were cases where non Olympic relays were not prioritized; AUS weren’t orphans in that regard. The decline of M4XMED isn’t down to him but rather the talent that has been available … or lack thereof.