After missing the Victorian Record in the 200 backstroke on the first night of competition Olympian Belinda Hocking returned to the pool on Saturday evening with her eyes on the 100 backstroke mark. Hocking out raced Short Course World Championship medalist Rachel Goh to win the event in a time of 1:00.47 breaking the Victorian Record of 1:00.55 which was set in 2011 by Grace Loh.
In the 100 butterfly 15 year old Jemma Schlicht gave Alicia Coutts all she could handle. Coutts won the event in a time of 59.23 with the youngster Schlicht not far behind in a time of 59.93.
Brenton Rickard went into the 100 breaststroke with the plan of leading the race from start to finish. He took the race out well ahead of the field turning at the 50 in a time of 28.91, but he could not hold off a fast charging Kazuki Watanabe who made up almost a full second in the second 50 to win the event in a time of 1:02.85 with Rickard finishing second in a time of 1:02.87.
Melanie Schlanger and Southport Olympic Swim Club teammate Alexandra Purcell went one two in the women’s 50 freestyle. Schlanger won the event in a time of 25.90 just ahead of Purcell who finished in a time of 25.96.
In the men’s 800 freestyle there was no match for 16 year old Mack Horton. Horton who will be competing in the upcoming Australian Youth Olympic Festival won the event in a time of 8:10.87, 27 seconds ahead of the next competitor.
Katie Goldman, Lorna Tonks and David McKeon all won their second events of the weekend. Goldman finished first in the 400 freestyle in a time of 4:11.17, Tonks took the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:29.54 and McKeon won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:48.78.
In the remaining events of the evening Olympian Matson Lawson won the 200 backstroke in a time of 2:00.64, Matt Targett took the 50 butterfly in a time of 23.61 while World Schort Course Championship medalist Travis Mahoney won the 200 IM in a time of 2:02.95.
The winners of the Multi-Class events included:
Men’s 100 freestyle – Rowan Crothers
Women’s 100 freestyle – Jacqueline Freney
Men’s 50 butterfly – Jeremy Tidy
Women’s 50 butterfly – Jacqueline Freney
Men’s 50 backstroke – Jeremy Tidy
Women’s 50 backstroke – Jacqueline Freney
Men’s 100 breaststroke – Ahmed Kelly
Women’s 100 breaststroke – Kayla Clarke
