Shayna Jack Posts Massive 52.28 100 Free But Won’t Swim The Event Individually

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Yeah, Australian women’s sprint freestyle is just that good.

Leading off Australia’s 4×100 freestyle relay in the prelims of the 2023 World Championships, Shayna Jack posted a massive time of 52.28 to become the eighth-fastest performer in history and the top performer in the world by 0.2 seconds. However, she won’t be swimming the 100 free individually, as she placed third behind Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan at Australian trials earlier this year.

At trials this year, O’Callaghan won the 100 free in a time of 52.48, McKeon placed second in 52.52, and Jack took third with a 52.64.

All-Time Top Performers, Women’s 100 Freestyle:

  1. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden — 51.71 (2017)
  2. Emma McKeon, Australia — 51.96 (2021)
  3. Cate Campbell, Australia — 52.03 (2018)
  4. Simone Manuel, United States — 52.04 (2019)
  5. Britta Steffen, Germany — 52.07 (2009)
  6. Siobhan Haughey, Hong Kong (2021)/Bronte Campbell, Australia (2018) — 52.27
  7. Shayna Jack, Australia — 52.28 (2023)

Jack dropped 0.32 seconds from her previous personal best time of 52.60, which was clocked at Australian trials in 2022. She matched the first 50 of her previous best on Sunday morning, but improved 0.38 seconds on her last 50.

Splits Comparison:

Shayna Jack, 2023 World Championships Shayna Jack, 2022 Australian Trials
50m 25.16 25.14
100m 27.12 27.50
Total 52.28 52.60

Although Jack will not be swimming the 100 free individually at Worlds, she will be racing the 50 free, where she is seeded fifth overall with her best time of 24.14. She had the opportunity to race the 100 free individually at the 2022 World Championships, but had to drop out of the event because she hurt her hand mid-meet.

Australia qualified for the final of the women’s 4×100 free as the top seed by nearly two seconds.

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snailSpace
9 months ago

I’m all in for Australia to win this, but I think Jack almost certainly adds if she leads off tonight. Really hope she doesn’t, but 52.28 is a massive swim somewhat out of nowhere and I’m not certain she can replicate it.

snailSpace
Reply to  snailSpace
9 months ago

I have been soooo wrong lololol.

Sub13
9 months ago

I’m most excited for what this means for her 200. Her dropping a 1:54 flying start would really shut the door on the US

Ceccon - Kamminga - Milak - Popovici
Reply to  Sub13
9 months ago

100% she’ll be in 4×2

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
9 months ago

I think she just messed up her heat swim at trials and then just went through the motions in the B final.

jeff
Reply to  Sub13
9 months ago

man if everything goes right, they’re looking at a 7:36 and potentially dipping into the 7:35 range too. I wonder how many countries you’d have to combine to field a team that could beat that

Paul
9 months ago

Is Shayna Jack the one who was banned for doping for two years? Or do I remember wrong?

Oceanian
9 months ago

She won’t have an individual 4×100 swim here but she’ll have plenty of 100s and likely at least one 200 in relays given her show of form already.

It makes the MOC/McKeown/McKeon/Jack medley combo much more of an option.

Last edited 9 months ago by Oceanian
M d e
Reply to  Oceanian
9 months ago

The problem with that relay is MOCs back (relative to Kaylee), not Shayna’s free.

Last edited 9 months ago by M d e
Troyy
Reply to  M d e
9 months ago

And Kaylee not being that much faster than Harkin.

M d e
Reply to  Troyy
9 months ago

I think the theoretical relay always hinges on the idea Kaylee is capable of significantly faster than she has ever been due to it being at a target meet.

I’ve never bought into it much personally.

petriasfan
9 months ago

On first thought, after prelims, Jack should lead off the final tonight. However, O’Callaghan’s prior relay splits have never (IMO) lived up to her individual performances. Besides her 52.03 split in the mixed 400m free relay at 2022 WC, the average difference in her flat starts and relay legs is roughly only .2 of a second. After Jack’s swim this morning, could she split a 51 high on 3rd or anchor? So, thoughts…who should lead off the Aussie relay? Jack or O’Callaghan?

Last edited 9 months ago by petriasfan
Skip
Reply to  petriasfan
9 months ago

Jack, MOC, harris, mckeon

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Skip
9 months ago

swap MOC and harris

Troyy
Reply to  Emily Se-Bom Lee
9 months ago

They’ve actually gone with Mollie on lead off. Hope Shayna’s been practicing relay exchanges.

O’CALLAGHAN Mollie
JACK Shayna
HARRIS Meg
McKEON Emma

https://www.omegatiming.com/File/00011600010201F70104FFFFFFFFFF00.pdf

Troyy
Reply to  petriasfan
9 months ago

All of Jack’s splits last year were equal to or slower than her flat start.

Dinuka
Reply to  petriasfan
9 months ago

MOC 52.2 Harris 52.6 McKeon 52.4 , Jack 51.9

Last edited 9 months ago by Dinuka
Troyy
Reply to  Dinuka
9 months ago

McKeon will be much faster than 52.4 with a relay changeover.

Theloniuspunk
Reply to  Dinuka
9 months ago

Amazing that they were all 2-4 tenths faster than these predictions

5th stroke
Reply to  petriasfan
9 months ago

Jack

About Yanyan Li

Yanyan Li

Although Yanyan wasn't the greatest competitive swimmer, she learned more about the sport of swimming by being her high school swim team's manager for four years. She eventually ventured into the realm of writing and joined SwimSwam in January 2022, where she hopes to contribute to and learn more about …

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