At the conclusion of this week’s Australian Age Championships in South Australia, Swimming Australia has named a roster of 30 swimmers to their team for the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships. The meet will be held from August 20th-25th in Budapest, Hungary.
The team includes 14 boys and 16 girls representing 5 of the country’s 6 states (with Tasmania being the exception).
The team is head is headlined by Thomas Neill of Rackley and Lani Pallister of Cotton Tree who each earned 5 event titles at the age group championships.
Neil’s wins, in the 16-year olds age group:
- 200 free – 1:49.18
- 400 free – 3:50.99
- 800 free – 7:59.05
- 1500 free – 15:15.95
- 200 IM – 2:03.53
Pallister’s wins in the 16-year olds age group:
- 100 free – 55.70
- 200 free – 1:59.06
- 400 free – 4:08.37
- 800 free – 8:24.58
- 1500 free – 16:16.91
Alsso making the squad is 16-year old Joshua Edwards from UWA West Coast. On Saturday, the final day of able-bodied competition at the meet, he swam a 1:57.82. That took 3 seconds off the old 16-year olds record that was set by Olympian Mitch Larkin in 2010. Thomas Hauck, who was also under Larkin’s old record in 2:00.00, qualified 2nd. Edwards also broke the 100 back record earlier in the meet with a 55.01.
Australia finished 12th on the medals table at the 2017 World Junior Swimming Championships, winning no golds among 5 total medals. The meet historically has been a pipeline to success for Australia: Mack Horton won 5 gold medals in 2013 and Kyle Chalmers won 3 in 2015 before both went on to Olympic titles in Rio.
2019 Australian Junior World’s Team:
- Se-Bom Lee – Carlile, NSW*
- Alex Quach – Auburn, NSW
- Charli Brown – Manly, NSW
- Jessica Madden – SLC Aquadot, NSW
- Angus McDonald – Trinity Grammar, NSW
- Thomas Neill – Rackley, QLD
- Bronte Job – Rackley, QLD
- Tahlia Thornton – Brisbane Grammar, QLD
- Alexander Grant – Brisbane Grammar, QLD
- Ty Hartwell – Rocky City, QLD*
- Thomas Hauck – All Saints GC, QLD*
- Rebecca Jacobson – Albany Creek QLD
- Mitchell Tinsley – Chandler, QLD
- Elizabeth Dekkers – Newmarket Racers, QLD
- Georgia Powell – Newmarket Racers, QLD*
- Jenna Forrester – St Peters Western, QLD*
- Meg Harris – St Peters Western, QLD
- Michaela Ryan – St Peters Western, QLD*
- Mollie O’Callaghan – St Peters Western, QLD
- Lani Pallister – Cotton Tree, QLD*
- Emily White – Norwood, SA
- Tara Kinder – DVE Aquatic, VIC*
- Oliver Nash – Melbourne Vicentre, VIC
- Gabriella Peiniger – MLC Aquatic, VIC
- Noah Millard – MLC Aquatic, VIC
- Cameron Jordan – Bendigo East, VIC
- Kalani Ireland – Perth City, WA
- Alyssa Burgess – Arena, WA
- Joshua Edwards-Smith – UWA West Coast, WA
- Joshua Yong – UWA West Coast, WA
* – members of the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific team.
Coaching Staff:
- Shaun Curtis (Norwood)
- Brian Miller (DVE Aquatic)
- Steve Miller (Newmarket Racers)
- Janelle Pallister (Cotton Tree)
- Michael Shaw (UWA West Coast)
- Nick Veliades (MLC Aquatic).
Does this mean Pallister is not going to try for the senior Australia team this year? Interesting.
I think she may be able to do both if she qualifies
That makes more sense!
Not necessarily, Chalmers did individual + relay swims at junior worlds and did relays at senior worlds in 2015. Pallister might try and get a heat swim in the 4×200, but she’s also in a very good position to be the 2nd swimmer in the 800, and possibly the 400, this year.
Also in the 1500, I think she big chance in the longer distance.
Melverton and Gough are both faster than her over 1500, but she’s currently second only to Titmus in the 400/800. The 4×200 team will be interesting. If we get a repeat of the times from nationals the top 5 are under 1:57 and the 6th is under 1:58. Only Titmus and McKeon are locks for the final, so I can’t see Pallister even getting a heat swim. Plus Maddie Groves wasn’t at nationals, and her anchor at Pan Pacs was something else.
Pretty sure that Pallister was not tapered to the for this championships. Doesn’t need to.
So we may see some further time drops at the trials.