Comeback Complete: Thomas Fraser-Holmes Makes Worlds Squad

2019 AUSTRALIAN WORLD SWIMMING TRIALS

27-year-old Thomas Fraser-Holmes gutted out a gold medal-winning performance in tonight’s 400m IM in Brisbane.

While competing on the final night of competition at the 2019 Aussie World Trials, the Griffith University swimmer produced a winning mark of 4:14.68, his 2nd fastest of the season.

That time tonight dips under the Aussie-mandated World Championships qualifying standard of 4:15.69, with TFH representing the only swimmer of the final to qualify.

However, the time and placement this evening is an even bigger symbolic win for the Olympic finalist, as it seals up his comeback to the Dolphins’ fold.

Last year Fraser-Holmes had completed his 12-month ban for having missed 3 random drug tests over a 12-month period. Officially cut-off from the Dolphins national team both financially and training-wise, Fraser-Holmes began training again alone in December 2017 after having taken 6 months off.

He redeemed himself with a silver medal in the SCM version of this 400m IM at the 2018 Short Course World Championships in Hangzhou.

Earlier this year he cranked out a mark of 4:14.32, his fastest outing since 2016, and he made it happen tonight in 4:14.68 to punch his ticket to Gwangju.

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E Gamble
5 years ago

Was he the Australian swimmer that missed a scheduled drug test because he was having dinner at his mom’s house? No go plates or Tupperware. I’m done. Lol

M d e
Reply to  E Gamble
5 years ago

Exactly. After missing 2 other tests mind you. And not only is he allowed back, he is being glorified for his successful ‘comeback’.

He wasn’t injured or retired. He was suspended.

camelboar
5 years ago

Why are the comments closed on the Chalmers 50 free win article?

E Gamble
Reply to  camelboar
5 years ago

I noticed that too. The men”s 50 free times were slow and not one QT.

Dee
5 years ago

Cate’s stroke effeciency on full display there. On 50/200 times, you wouldnt have her beating Emma in the 100 this week

petriasfan
5 years ago

TFH did not win the 400m IM Australian national title in April, nor did he compete at Nationals. Larkin won the event, with newcomer Brendon Smith finishing a close 2nd. I believe he swam the 4:14 time at the Stockholm Swim Cup.

Observer
5 years ago

BTW… about that 50 free down under…

I still get downvotes when I say the 100 and the 50 are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT events…

Verram
Reply to  Observer
5 years ago

Let’s have a competition to see who gets the most down votes … by saying the most crass things that will offend people around here .. give them a workout lol

Observer
Reply to  Observer
5 years ago

Uhhh so bitter I almost got triggered…

M d e
5 years ago

This is nonsense.

We need to stop with this glorification of cheaters.

Swimming Australia should have told him to take a hike, he isn’t close to being a medal contender, leavethe cheat out.

Love to Swim
Reply to  M d e
5 years ago

Jessica Hardy and Yuliya Efimova disliked the above comment.

m d e
Reply to  Love to Swim
5 years ago

It is absolutely ridiculous.

If TFH was chinese or eastern European this site would want to string him up.

He is a cheat, we shouldn’t allow people like this to compete at the highest level in our sport.

Tim
Reply to  M d e
5 years ago

He’s the best Aussie, he did the QT and won, he never tested positive.

m d e
Reply to  Tim
5 years ago

No, he just deliberately missed three tests to avoid failing.

It is an absolute joke, how can we pretend to want a clean sport when we allow such brazen disregard for the rules to be rewarded with spots on our national team?

Who cares about the QT, aside from the womens 1500 it was probably the weakest QT of the meet (this is a whole other discussion). He is a cheating non contender, who cares.

Verram
Reply to  m d e
5 years ago

Blah blah blah cry to your mommy

Togger
Reply to  m d e
5 years ago

That’s quite a strong claim.

He missed three tests. Whether he would have tested positive if he took them is far from certain.

m d e
Reply to  Togger
5 years ago

It isn’t hard to update your whereabouts. No honest reason to miss 3 tests over such a short period.

It also doesn’t even matter, he is a cheat regardless of whether he would have failed the test he didn’t allow to happen.

Verram
Reply to  m d e
5 years ago

You should be sued for defamation .. I hope Thomas Fraser-Holmes lawyers gets your details for defamation suit ..

m d e
Reply to  Verram
5 years ago

Your comment is ridiculous.

Observer
Reply to  m d e
5 years ago

Did he tho?? I’m seeing a lot of comments condemning TFH and I could bet none of you haters ever got tested, made a national team or even something close to relevant in the sport… or at least dedicated a life to it… stop spreading nonsense guys…

m d e
Reply to  Observer
5 years ago

I actually have been drug tested, multiple times. I never missed one.

To be fair, I wasn’t tested anywhere near is rigorously as one would hope he would be, but then I wasn’t even near as good.

Though perhaps if I was a drug cheat I might have been, who knows.

Anon
Reply to  M d e
5 years ago

Should we ban Ryan Lochte forever for getting IV drips?

m d e
Reply to  Anon
5 years ago

Completely separate discussion, I’m not familiar enough with Lochte’s situation to comment.

If Lochte brazenly disregarded the rules as TFH did then yes.

Lochte also would swim a lot fater than TFH, which was my second reason to hold him out.

Togger
Reply to  m d e
5 years ago

So if TFH admitted he’d previously doped so much it made Lance Armstrong look amateur, but went 3.59, you’d be alright with him on the team?

Strong moral stance.

M d e
Reply to  Togger
5 years ago

No. But throwing away an Olympic gold medal is a much tougher decision.

I’d be 100% supportive of it though.

Leaving out someone who barely qualifies against the second weakest QT of the week is a much easier decision.

Dcswim
Reply to  Anon
5 years ago

That picture was literally the biggest facepalm in at least the last 20 years of swimming

DRAMA KING
Reply to  Dcswim
5 years ago

First of all, TFH never tested positive.
He’s been swimming for 10 years at international level and never tested positive.
And he missed those tests in a year that he had some mediocore results.
And when you look at his reason for missing those tests, you feel that he was honest about that. If he is a cheater, he wouldn’t give that kind of reason.
‘Dinner with mom……………’😉
Then, he was cut from the Aussie swimming both financially and training wise. And he trained alone and by own. If you look at the other famous dopers, they were sponsored by the state and trained with best coaches during the suspended periods.
So i’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

M d e
Reply to  DRAMA KING
5 years ago

I’m sorry, but we should give NO benefit of the doubt to cheaters.

FSt
Reply to  M d e
5 years ago

Remember Sun Yang and his smashed probe… we don’t know whether that would have tested positive or not either, and yet esp. Australians went ballistic over that incident.

There are rules, simple rules. I could follow them, countless others could, too. If you don’t abide by them, you should be banned for life. Whether your name is Lochte or Fraser-Holmes or Yefimova. Whether you got a vitamin drip that was more than the allowed amount, missed 3 tests, or were caught with a banned substance in your system. I honestly don’t care. You’re an elite athlete, it’s your job to stay clean, follow the rules, and make yourself available for tests at all times. If that’s too much to ask,… Read more »

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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