2023 WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- September 4 – 9, 2023
- Netanya, Israel
- Wingate Institute
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- How To Watch
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap| Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
Australia’s stable of female sprint stars just keeps getting deeper.
Olivia Wunsch capped the fifth night of the World Junior Championships with a blazing 52.61 freestyle anchor to lift the Australian girls’ 400-meter free relay to victory over the United States. NC State commit Erika Pelaez was the only other swimmer in the field sub-54 with a 53.89 anchor for the U.S., but she was still more than a second slower than Wunsch’s otherworldly split.
For context, Wunsch’s 52.61 split is faster than every American at this year’s World Championships except for Kate Douglass (52.28), but still slower than Australia’s world-record-breaking quartet of Mollie O’Callaghan (52.08), Shayna Jack (51.69), Meg Harris (52.29), and Emma McKeon (51.90). At only 17 years old, Wunsch is surely on track to be a key Aussie relay contributor at the LA 2028 Olympics, and perhaps even as soon as Paris 2024 given her rapid improvement recently.
Heading into this meet, Wunsch had never been under 54 seconds in the 100 free, with her lifetime best sitting 54.50 from Junior Pan Pacs last year. Then she clocked a personal-best 53.71 to win gold in the 100 free on Wednesday before splitting 53.61 to help the Australian mixed 400 free relay break the world junior record with a total time of 3:24.29.
On Friday, Wunsch also led the 50 free semifinals with a personal-best 24.60, shaving a quarter of a second off her previous-best 24.85 from April. She’ll be seeking her fourth gold medal of the meet in the 50 free final on Saturday, with her stiffest competition expected to come from Italy’s Sara Curtis. Curtis qualified 2nd with a personal-best 24.91, taking a couple tenths off her previous-best 25.14 that won gold at the European Junior Championships in July.
Wunsch’s new lifetime best in the 50 free would have qualified for the World Championships final this year and placed 8th.
Olivia has a certain twang in her voice. Don’t tell me she’s a Yank or a recovering one, I couldn’t stand it.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1699764128179495303
Obviously you’ve never heard an Australian speak ever
Now there’s some dizzying logic for you.
Sounds 1000% true blue Aussie to me
I still remember last year Swimswam peanut gallery fantasizing USA to beat AUS in W4x100 free in Budapest just because McKeon and Campbell sisters took sabbatical.
I also remember early this year after NCAA that Swimswam peanut gallery fantasizing USA to beat AUS in w4x100 free in Fukuoka just because Douglas, Walsh sisters, Husker, etc were killing it in SCY.
It will happen again early next year.
Tokyo. Women’s 800m freestyle relay. Don’t try to collect your gold medals until you actually win the race.
Women’s 800 freestyle relay is NOT women’s 4×100 free
Also, Fukuoka, women’s 800 freestyle relay.
Don’t try to collect your gold medals until you actually win the race
Are you saying that Australia was not heavily favored in the women’s 800m freestyle relay in Tokyo? From Swimming World: “No matter the lens used, it was impossible to see Australia finish anywhere but on top in the women’s 800-meter freestyle relay”. Are the Aussies likely to win the 400m freestyle relay next year? Sure they are. Is it possible they will not? Of course. Don’t try to collect your gold medals until you actually win the race.
Don’t think Aussies cannot be beaten till 2029! Cate Bronte Madi & Emma may retire after 2024. Yet Shayna Mollie Meg & Olivia will continue and few other youngsters will also persue..
2024 Australian Olympic Trials
100m Final
MOC
Emma
Shayna
Cate
Meg
Maddie
Bronte
Olivia
Sub 53 to make the team?(Top 6)
and very possible that Sub 52 to get an individual spot.
MOC-likely 51 High
Emma/Shayna – 51 high/52.0
Scary!
Milla Jansen, Hannah Casey and Brianna Throsell could also pose as a threat if they improve
Top 4 were sub 53 in 2021. Emma, Cate, Maddi, Meg. Although Bronte and Mollie came in to the team for the final based on form after finishing 5th/6th.
It will definitely take sub 53 to be top 6.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes 52.2 to get the individual spots.
Think that’s a more realistic take than 2 sub 52s. Possible – yes, but not likely.
Two sub 52.2 certainly has some mileage; am definitely thinking 52.4 or better. Four sub 53s seems a solid bet, five = quite plausible. Sub 53.5 to make final.
Depends on what bathtub Australian Swimming decides to have the trials.
Melbourne – No F#$#%^# Sydney or Adelaide – Yes please
usa never winning the 4 free relay again lol
True
You would be very surprised to see how light her training load is compared to Americans or fellow Aussie team members from famous QLD clubs like SPW. She is just naturally very strong and gifted and has very bright future in front of her.
I see an Olympic gold medal in her future.
What an awesome relay anchor split.. always good to see clutch anchor swimmers like that…at the very least I’d want to see her swim in the Paris Olympics relay heats the same way Mollie O was relegated fo heats duties in Tokyo as introduction to the big league
She’s gonna be an absolute beast already next year and already has a great relay start although 0.05 is cutting it a bit fine 😅
Under 0.1 should always be the goal
Not always. In a college setting when you’ve had a ton of starts off the same swimmer, .1 is a good target for medleys and under is reasonable for 200 & 400 relays. Junior training camps are shorter than senior camps and these athletes have way less experience judging someone finish. Under .1 in that setting is too aggressive of a target. There’s often last minute changes to lineups so that they might even end up doing a start if someone they never practiced with.