2024 AUSTRALIAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, September 26th – Sunday, September 29th
- SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview
- Swimming Australia SC Worlds Qualification Procedures
- Start List
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
- Live Results
The penultimate night of racing at the 2024 Australian Short Course Championships saw 23-year-old Kaylee McKeown rip a new national record in the women’s 50m back.
McKeown, the 100m/200m back reigning Olympic gold medalist, fired off a lifetime best of 25.40 to clear the field and claim her 2nd title at this competition.
Teammate Lani Pallister was also in the pool tonight, racing in the final of the women’s 400m free.
22-year-old Pallister, trained by her mother Janelle Pallister, put up a powerful performance of 3:56.27 to handily defeat the field in the sole outing under 4:00.
Pallister’s result checks in as the #2 performance of her career and just the 2nd time she’s been under the 4:00 threshold. Her personal best remains at the 3;55.04 she posted for gold at the 2022 Short Course World Championships.
Behind Pallister tonight was 29-year-old veteran Leah Neale of Rackley. Neale scored a solid result of 4:00.63 to join Pallister in earning provisional qualification for December’s Short Course World Championships.
Neale’s silver medal-worthy performance represents the 2nd-best time of her career. Her personal best of 3:58.80 was put on the books at the 2020 Virtual Queensland Championships.
25-year-old David Schlicht doubled up on his 400m IM victory by winning the men’s 200m IM race this evening.
Schlicht stopped the clock at 1:54.11 to hold about a half-second advantage over Joshua Collett of Bond who settled for silver in 1:54.66. Gabriel Gorgas rounded out the podium in 1:55.79.
Schlicht and Collett both dipped under the Swimming Australia-mandated qualification time of 1:55.25 needed to provisionally qualify for Budapest.
Tara Kinder continued her successful meet, wrangling up her 3rd individual gold of these championships.
21-year-old Kinder of Melbourne Vicentre already won the women’s 100m breast and 400m IM but now collected gold in the 200m IM.
Kinder put up a time of 2:06.87 to beat the field by over 2 seconds. Next to the wall was Kayla Hardy in 2:08.99 while Jamie De Lutiis also landed on the podium in 2:09.45 for bronze.
Kinder’s outing obliterated her previous personal best of 2:10.07 logged just last month at the Victorian Open Short Course Championships. Hardy’s time came within striking distance of her PB, a time of 2:08.11 turned in for 12th place at the 2022 Short Course World Championships.
Before the night was over, 24-year-old Alexandria Perkins made her presence known in a big way in the women’s 100m butterfly.
The USC Spartan fired off a monster time of 55.45 to grab the gold, holding off a charging Lily Price who finished just .12 behind in 55.57.
Perkins and Price join an elite group of Aussie women who have hit a 55-point time in this event and now sit among the best-ever.
Top 5 Aussie Women’s SCM 100 Butterfly Performers All-Time
- Alicia Coutts – 55.30, 2013
- Emma McKeon – 55.39, 2019
- Felicity Galvez – 55.43, 2010
- Alexandria Perkins – 55.45, 2024
- Lily Price – 55.57, 2024
The men’s 100m fly saw the top 5 finishers all break the 51-second barrier with Olympian Matt Temple leading the charge.
25-year-old Temple touched in 50.04 to add the event to a possible Budapest lineup and runner-up Jesse Coleman also made the grade in 50.20.
They’re gonna struggle to field men’s freestyle relays and if they do they might have to use the same team in heats and finals.
The boys really got screwed by the selectors.
10 boys with only 3 pure freestylers Giuliani Sommerville Winnington plus Cooper and maybe Temple. The only men’s relay that seems worthwhile is the 4×100 medley
Very young team named. Women’s freestyle looks thin… will need Harris to be on form.
Is it finally time for Kaylee on the 4×200?
Anderson
Collett
Cooper
Dekkers
JES
Guiliani
Grant
Hardy
Harris
Jansen
Johnson
Kinder
Kritzinger
Mckeown
Neale
Pallister
Perkins
Price
Robb
Schlicht
Sommerville
Temple
Winnington
Yong
I wonder why they did not name Turner – he won the 200 Fly in a qualifying time – also did not name Chalmers or ZSC so perhaps they are not going??
Yes, was surprised by this too. Young and improving swimmer, in an event we are terrible at.
Must be a reason – seems unfair otherwise given he finished 1st and many other 2nd place finishers were named
He is going to the World Cups as a part of the QLD/Hancock group. Hopefully can set some quick times.
They don’t use placing when prioritising the qualifiers. They’re compared based on their placing in the previous calendar year’s world rankings.
It’s done on FINA points or the equivalent. So Turner’s 200 fly must not be as many points as others.
Didn’t they name Chalmers ?
No. Team of 24 named. 3 or 4 not in attendance.
Team is now up Swimming Australia Facebook.
Cusack head coach. Pallister, Hilton, Jackson and Jovanovich the assistants.
I reckon Yong gives the AR a shake here.
No. 2:03. Went out a touch slow and came home like a train.
Kinder hits 2:18 in 200m Breast.
Koch goes 2:21. Takes 3 seconds off the Age Record?
Toohey turns on the jets in the second half of the Age Final – 2:25.
About one second but very impressive nonetheless.
15 Years 200m *2:22.68 Kristy Ellem Acacia Bayside QLD Guttenberg 17.04.97
My mistake- 3 second PB.
not very impressive given she quite cleary an age cheat….
What on earth are you smoking sharkboiiii? Maybe go and take a good look at yourself.
This person is always making disparaging comments about Aussie swimmers.
Cooper just wins the 50 Free in 20:81. Kyle’s national record lives on.
Perkins takes 50 Free in 23:77. She has had a good meet.