Clyde Lewis Makes Waves In 200 IM On Aussie SC Championships Day 3

2022 AUSTRALIAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, August 24th – Saturday, August 27th
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center
• Short Course World Championships Selection Meet
• Australian SC World Championships Selection Criteria
• SCM (25m)
• Entry List
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Live Results
• Race Replay Videos

The penultimate night of the 2022 Australian Short Course Championships saw some big-time performances from both the host nation’s swimmers, as well as a handful of visiting American athletes.

First, for the Aussies, Griffith University swimmer Lani Pallister followed up her 1500m freestyle national record from night one with a dominant win this evening in the 400m free.

Stopping the clock in a winning effort of 3:56.74, Pallister represented the only racer in the field to grab a time under the 4:02 threshold. In doing so, the 20-year-old not only earned a new personal best but she also now checks in as the 12th fastest performer of all time.

Entering this meet, Pallister’s career-fastest in this SCM 400 free rested at the 4:01.45 produced in 2020. As such, she hacked nearly 5 seconds off of that previous PB en route to taking the national title.

Clyde Lewis was another Aussie with a standout performance on Friday, with the 24-year-old punching a new lifetime best in the 200m IM.

Lewis was in a mighty duel tonight with American Grant House, with the race coming down to the touch at the final wall. Lewis ultimately scored the victory, registering a time of 1:53.01 to House’s 1:53.05.

For Lewis, he now represents the 3rd fastest Australian man ever in the event, with this 1:53.01 sitting only behind the late Kenneth To and Mitch Larkin, who rank ahead with respective efforts of 1:52.01 and 1:52.21.

Lewis had never been under the 1:54 threshold in this 2IM, having owned a previous career-best of 1:54.54 from 2017.

On the American side, House, who trains under Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman, became the 8th fastest U.S. swimmer in history with his runner-up performance.

Olympic finalist Matt Temple also got it done for gold for the Aussies, taking the men’s 100m butterfly in a time of 50.09. Opening in 23.09 and closing in 27.00, Temple came within striking distance of his own PB of 49.32 from 2020.

The men’s 1fly silver medal went to American Trenton Julian who fired off a time of 50.22 for a new PB of his own. Julian’s time at this meet easily overtook his previous best of 51.94, rendering the Mission Viejo swimmer the 8th quickest U.S. swimmer all time.

Also for the Americans, Beata Nelson continued her strong showings, putting up a mark of 2:05.28 to win the women’s 200m IM. The next-closest competitor in the race was Kayla Hardy who touched over 4 seconds back in 2:09.69.

Nelson’s outing this evening shaved about half a second off of her previous PB and now frog hops her over Kathleen Baker to become the stars n’ stripes’ 6th fastest woman ever in the event.

Of note, Kaylee McKeown raced in the prelims of the women’s 200m IM, clocking a time of 2:05.63.

Finally, in the men’s 400m free, 19-year-old Luke Hobson put on a show en route to topping the podium. Hobson crushed a lifetime best of 3:35.67 to come within a second of the American record. that standard remains at the 3:34.81 Olympic medalist Peter Vanderkaay put o the books in 2009.

Hobson got his hand on the wall this evening ahead of Olympic medalist Mack Horton, with the Aussie settling for silver in 3:37.94 while Tommy Neill rounded out the top 3 in 3:38.24. Horton’s effort was also a PB, overtaking his previous best of 3:39.52.

Additional Winners

• Alexandria Perkins gave the Aussies a gold in the women’s 100m fly, with the USC Spartans swimmer notching a time of 56.89.
• National record holder Minna Atherton was too tough to beat in the women’s 50m back, grabbing gold in 26.58. McKeown was also in the heats field, posting 26.32 with Mollie O’Callaghan logging 26.52 in the morning.
• American Justin Ress took the men’s 50m back race in 23.16 while domestic ace Isaac Cooper was right behind in 23.31 for silver.