Australian Championships: Day Two Final Live Recap

2016 HANCOCK PROSPECTING AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS)

• Thursday April 7th-Thursday April 14th
• SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre – Adelaide
• Prelims – 11 am local (9:30 pm EDT previous evening); Finals – 7:45 pm local (6:15 am EDT)
• Australian Olympic Qualifying Criteria
• Psych Sheets
• Program of Events
• Live stream
• Live results

Women’s 100 Backstroke Multi-Class

After Ellie Cole starting off her Australian National Championships by setting a new IPC world record in the 50 freestyle she returned to the pool on the second day of competition to win the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:10.69. Cole won this event at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Maddison Elliot finished second in a time of 1:19.59 followed by Lakeisha Patterson who hit the wall in a time of 1:19.84.

Men’s 100 Backstroke Multi-Class

Michael Anderson took the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 1:00.96. He was followed by Jeremy McClure who posted a 1:10.23 and Brenden Hall who recorded a 1:05.45.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 58.05
• Australian Record – Jessicah Schippher – 56.23

Emma McKeon took the women’s 100 butterfly Australian National Championship crown for the second year in a row. winning the event in a time of 56.89, well under the Olympic qualifying standard of 58.05. McKeon came into the competition with a lifetime best of 57.24, which she recorded just a month ago at the New South Wales State Championships. Last night in the semi-finals she improved on that recording a 57.13 and then dipped under the 57 second mark for the first time this evening.

McKeon finished fourth in this event in Kazan where she put up a time of 57.67. Her time tonight places her third in the world rankings.

McKeon’s St Peters Western teammate Madeline Groves finished second in a time of 57.08 beating her previous lifetime best of 57.43. Groves, whose time puts her sixth in the world rankings, also swam this event in Kazan where she missed qualifying for the final by 12 one-hundredths of a second.

Olympic bronze medalist Alicia Coutts finished third and well under the Olympic qualifying standard of 58.05, unfortunately only two athletes are allowed to swim the event in Rio. Coutts is attempting to qualify for her third Olympic before hanging up her goggles after Rio.

1. Emma McKeon – 56.89
2. Madeline Groves – 57.08
3. Alicia Coutts – 57.27
4. Brianna Throssell – 58.07
5. Brittany Elmslie – 58.77
6. Jemma Schlicht – 59.34
7. Gemma Cooney – 59.39
8. Emily Washer – 59.43

Men’s 200 Freestyle – Semi-Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 1:46.45
• Australian Record – Ian Thorpe – 1:44.06

Thomas Fraser-Holmes recorded the the top time in the men’s 200 freestyle semi-final hitting the wall in a time of 1:46.71, just off the Olympic qualifying standard of 1:46.45. Fraser-Holmes will be looking to equal or better his 2014 performances in the 200 freestyle where he won both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships. He finished 2013-14 season with the world’s top time of 1:45.08.

Cameron McEvoy finished second in a time of 1:46.83 while Daniel Smith had the third fastest qualifying time of 1:47.30.

The times in the semi-final did not mean much, the goal for all of the men was to finish in the top eight thus giving themselves an opportunity to qualify for Rio in tomorrow night’s final. One man who was not able to achieve that goal was Grant Hackett. The three time Olympian finished 11th in a time of 1:49.09, well off his prelim time of 1:48.33.

This was Hackett’s final opportunity to qualify for his fourth Olympic Games at the age of 35. It was in December of 2014 that the two-time Olympic champion decided to return to competition with the goal of qualifying for the 2015 World Championships in Kazan. Hackett accomplished that goal, finishing fourth in the 200 freestyle at the Australian National Championships. Once experiencing that success he once again he decided to continue to compete this time with the goal of earning a spot on the Australian Olympic team. Unfortunately with today’s result it is a goal that will not be accomplished.

1. Thomas Fraser-Holmes – 1:46.71
2. Cameron McEvoy – 1:46.83
3. Daniel Smith – 1:47.30
4. Mack Horton – 1:47.37
5. David McKeon – 1:47.49
6. Jordan Merrilees – 1:47.76
7. Kurt Herzog – 1:47.90
8. Jacob Hansford – 1:48.23

Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Semi-Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 1:07.11
• Australian Record – Leisel Jones – 1:05.09

Georgia Bohl put up the fastest time in the women’s 100 breaststroke semi-final hitting the wall in a time of 1:06.44, bettering her previous lifetime best of 1:06.65, which she posted at the New South Wales State Championships just over a month ago. Bohl’s time now places her seventh in the world rankings.

Jessica Hansen, who came into the competition with a lifetime best of 1:07.48, finished second in a time of 1:06.94, which puts her 17th in the world rankings. Taylor McKeown, who swam this event at the World Championships in Kazan, finished third in a time of 1:07.35.

Jennie Johansson of Sweden who was the top qualifier after the prelims where she posted a 1:06.63 because she is an international swimmer she was not allowed to compete in the semi-final.

1. Georgia Bohl – 1:06.44
2. Jessica Hansen – 1:06.94
3. Taylor McKeown – 1:07.35
4. Leiston Pickett – 1:07.70
5. Sally Hunter – 1:07.74
6. Lorna Tonks – 1:08.46
7. Tessa Wallace – 1:08.53
8. Aisling Scott – 1:09.13

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 59.75
• Australian Record – Brenton Rickard – 58.58

Jake Packard punched his ticket to Rio winning the men’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 56.65. Packard was a tenth of a second under the Australian Olympic qualifying standard of 59.75. His time places him eighth in the world rankings.

He was not far off his lifetime best of 59.44, which he posted at the World Championships in Kazan where he finished fifth. Packard represented Australia for the first time at a major international competition at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships where he finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke.

Packard will be the only Australian swimming the event in Rio.

Joshua Palmer finished second in a time of 1:00.51 just ahead of Matthew Wilson who hit the wall in a time of 1:00.54.

1. Jake Packard – 59.65
2. Joshua Palmer – 1:00.51
3. Matthew Wilson – 1:00.54
4. Nicholas Schafer – 1:00.86
5. Matthew Treloar – 1:01.19
6. Buster Sykes – 1:01.28
7. Grayson Bell – 1:01.38
8. Tommy Sucipto – 1:02.02

Men’s 100 Backstroke – Semi-Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 53.39
• Australian Record – Mitch Larkin – 52.11

Many athletes have been holding back in the semi-final being satisfied with putting themselves in the top eight, but not world champion Mitch Larkin. Larkin came out in the 100 backstroke and posted a time of 52.84 breaking the Australia all-comers record of 52.98 set by American Aaron Peirsol in 2007.

Although it was a nice feat to break the all-comers mark Larkin will be chasing Peirsol’s two most significant record, the world records in the 100 and 200 backstroke, in the upcoming days.

Joshua Beaver was the second fastest qualifier hitting the wall in a time of 53.75 followed by Zach Incerti who finished in a time of 54.19.

1. Mitch Larkin – 52.84
2. Joshua Beaver – 53.75
3. Zach Incerti – 54.19
4. Ashley Delaney – 54.21
5. Bobby Hurley – 54.33
6. Benjamin Treffers – 54.39
7. Robert Gerlach – 55.40
8. Ben Edmonds – 55.85
9. James Traiforos – 55.85

Women’s 100 Backstroke – Semi-Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 59.71
• Australian Record – Emily Seebohm – 58.23

Emily Seebohm was the top qualifier in tonight’s semi-final posting a time of 58.96. Seebohm’s time is 12 one-hundredths of a second off her season’s best of 58.84 and is 73 one-hundredths of a second away from her lifetime best and Australian record of 58.23. World Championship silver medalist Madi Wilson had the second fastest time in tonight’s semi-finals recording a 59.19, one tenth of a second off her season’s best of 59.09.

Two young stars were just off record times. Minna Atherton hit the wall in a time of 59.46 nine one-hundredths of a second away from her junior world record of 59.37. 14 year old Kaylee McKeown qualified in the sixth position in a time of 1:00.80 29 one-hundredths of a second slower than the age group record of 1:00.51 held by Seebohm.

1. Emily Seebohm – 58.96
2. Madi Wilson – 59.19
3. Minna Atherton – 59.46
4. Belinda Hocking – 1:00.19
5. Sian Whittaker – 1:00.69
6. Kaylee McKeown – 1:00.80
7. Holly Barratt – 1:00.88
8. Amy Forrester – 1:01.34

Women’s 400 Freestyle – Final

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 4:07.58
• Australian Record – Jessica Ashwood – 4:03.34

World championship bronze medalist Jessica Ashwood won the women’s 400 freestyle with relative ease finishing in a time of 4:03.71, two and a half seconds ahead of the field. Ashwood’s time was 37 one-hundredths of a second off of her Australian record and places her second in the world rankings.

Ashwood was also well under the Olympic qualifying standard of 4:07.58.

Tamsin Cook was also under the Olympic qualifying standard finishing second in a time of 4:06.38. Cook was 21 one-hundredths of a second away from her lifetime best of 4:06.17.

In the prelims Bronte Barratt achieved the Olympic qualifying standard putting up the competition’s fastest time of 4:07.37, but chose not to compete in the final.

 Kiah Melverton finished third in a time of 4:10.20.

1. Jessica Ashwood – 4:03.71
2. Tamsin Cook – 4:06.38
3. Kiah Melverton – 4:10.20
4. Leah Neale – 4:10.63
5. Kareena Lee – 4:13.02
6. Remi Fairweather – 4:14.85
7. Ariarne Titmus – 4:16.64
8. Jordan White – 4:20.06