2019 AUSTRALIAN WORLD SWIMMING TRIALS
- Sunday, June 9th – Friday, June 14th
- Brisbane Aquatic Centre
- LCM
- Live Results
When Olympic silver medalist Maddie Groves was missing from day 1’s 100m fly prelims at the 2019 Australian World Swimming Trials, we posted how it was likely the 24-year-old would wind up scratching the entire meet. A source told SwimSwam that, although originally entered in the meet under Griffith University with longtime coach Michael Bohl, the Bond student had actually moved on to Rackley.
Groves has now confirmed that move to SwimSwam today, stating, “I actually moved back to Brisbane and started training with Damien Jones about 6 weeks ago.
“It was a really difficult decision to leave Bohly, as he is an amazing coach and exceptional human being, but, ultimately, moving home to Brisbane was something I needed to do for myself.”
As far as why Groves is opting out of these World Trials and, thus, the World Championships, she says, “I have chosen to keep my training momentum going in preparation for 2020, etc., so I have more time to settle into my new training environment.”
Groves’ career achievement came when earned silver in the women’s 200m fly at the 2016 Olympic Games. Her time of 2:04.88 in Rio fell just .03 shy of gold, with Spain’s Mireia Belmonte getting the gold medal touch in 2:04.85 instead.
She had a tough 2018 as a whole however, contesting a potential suspension from competition due to missing 3 doping tests over a 12-month period, as well as having undergone surgery for endometriosis. She was cleared of any wrongdoing in the doping situation and bounced back by being named Sportswoman of the Year at the Bond University Blues and Sports Awards last year.
The women’s 100m fly on night 1 here in Brisbane saw Olympian Emma McKeon take the gold in a World Championships qualifying time of 57.28, while runner-up Brianna Throssell also qualified in a silver medal time of 57.57.
Other swimmers training at Rackley include Thomas Neill, the 17-year-old emerging athelte who won 4 Australian AGe titles this past April, as well as finished 5th here at these World Trials in the men’s 400m free. Louis Townsend also finaled here representing Rackley, hitting a time of 1:01.43 to place 6th in the men’s 100m breaststroke.
I never get swimmers who train and train for two years instead of actually testing themselves in competition format.. don’t swimmers like to race? No wonder ordinary people only care about swimming once every four years during the Olympics .. so when she gets to Tokyo she will not be as race sharp and the world champs experience would have offered her the opportunity to see what she needs to work on towards Tokyo next year
Hello VERRAM, and please: Go back and note the ordeal of dealing with endometriosis surgery, and the myriad of drugs that precede and/or follow. Her quality of life as an young-to-aging adult, mom, grandma etc. took precedence. I pray that you don’t coach young athletes.
You know you are right .. I can’t relate to endometriosis .. but you missed the point of my post .. I am not questioning the quality of her swimming but the mere fact that she doesn’t or hasn’t raced much lately which would I assume help her in her preparation for Tokyo .. there are other swimmers who train and train for years and lack race fitness when the big O comes along