Chalmers Takes 100 Free at 2015 South Australian SC Championships

The 2015 South Australian State Short Course Championships kicked off today from Oaklands Park, which means Marion Swim Club’s young sprint sensation, Kyle Chalmers was lighting up the water.  Getting a few last tune-up races in, Chalmers will soon be leaving for his squad’s World Championships staging camp, as he made Australia’s Worlds team as part of its 4x100m free relay.

Full Meet Results Available on Meet Mobile: SA State Short Course Championships

The 100m freestyle race (short course) was on Chalmers’ plate today in the meet just outside Adelaide.  After placing first in the prelims with a swift 49.84, Chalmers’ came back to crush a  gold medal-winning time of 48.98, dropping just under a second between the two swims. The 17-year old was the only competitor to dip beneath the 50-second threshold in prelims, and went on to be the only finisher to clock a sub-49 swim in the finals.  Chalmers’ next closest competitor was Marion swim club teammate 25-year old Andrew Abood, who finished in 49.49.

Chalmers’ time of 48.98 ranks as 17th-fastest in the world so far this year and converts to a 49-high in long course meters. At this year’s Australian National Championships, Chalmers’ long course time of 48.69 positioned him in 4th place behind mega-stars James Magnussen, Cameron McEvoy and Tomasso D’Orsogna, but was swift enough to earn the then-16 year old a slot on the relay in Kazan.  Chalmers is slated to swim the 50m freestyle in Oaklands Park on Friday.

Marion Swim Club’s Sally Hunter also did some damage on the first day of this South Australian short course meet, racking up wins in the 200m breaststroke and 100m freestyle events.  She finished the breaststroke event in a time of 2:38.18 and registered a 55.94 to win the sprint free race.  Hunter recently earned two bronze medals at the 2015 Australian National Championships in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and nabbed silver in the 50m breaststroke final.