Aussie-Trained Ning Zetao Doubles Up With 50 Free Win In Queensland

QUEENSLAND SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Following up on his monster 100 freestyle win earlier in the meet, Chinese swimmer and 2015 World Champion Ning Zetao took the men’s splash n’ dash at Brisbane Aquatic Centre on the final day of Queensland SC Championships. Clocking a speedy 21.72 to take gold, Ning was the only swimmer under the 22-second mark on the day, however, the 24-year-old was still far off from his own short course national record of 21.26.

Ning actually trains in Australia under Coach Matt Brown, former coach of World Champion Emily Seebohm, at the Parkinson Aquatic Centre in Brisbane as part of Rackley Swim Team. Ning has been situated there under Brown since May of this year, therefore, the Queensland Short Course Championships were a ‘home meet’ of sorts for the transplanted Chinese swimmer.

Sara Saal took the women’s 50 freestyle open title, clocking 25.34 for the win over a silver medalist less than half of her age. Saal remarkably is still going strong at 31 years of age, while Stella Cole, just 15, finished 2nd in the women’s open splash n’ dash in a time of 25.43. Representing Commercial, Saal also won the women’s open 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly events earlier in the meet.

Visiting swimmers from New Zealand scored 200 breaststroke wins across both the men’s and women’s races, with Julian Layton and Bronagh Ryan taking the respective victories in marks of 2:14.67 and 2:31.77. Ryan also wound up winning the women’s 50 breaststroke sprint, taking the field’s top time in 31.34.

Additional Winners from Day 3:

  • Jye Cornwell was the men’s 50 backstroke winner in a time of 24.94, with Amane Takeda earning the women’s win in 29.86.
  • St. Peters Western swimmer Max Carleton topped the open podium in the men’s 400m freestyle with his winning time of 3:49.55. Another teenager, 17-year-old Mikayla Messer, was the women’s 400 freestyle winner, touching in 4:12.62.
  • The 50 breaststroke open men’s champion was Grayson Bell in his time of 27.92.
  • Brodie Cook won the men’s 200 IM in 2:02.77 after already reaping gold in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM earlier in the meet.
  • Bond’s Amy Forrester took the women’s 200 IM in 2:14.60. The 19-year-old athlete already won the 200 backstroke and 100 backstroke races at this same meet.

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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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