2017 AUSTRALIAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, October 26th – Saturday, October 28th
- SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park, South Australia
- SCM
- Heats 10am local (8pm night before EST)/Finals 6pm local (4am EST)
- Meet Site
- Psych Sheets
- SwimSwam Meet Preview
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap
- Live Stream (Dolphins FB)
- Live results
While competing during this morning’s prelims on the final of the 2017 Australian Short Course Championships, 17-year-old Minna Atherton crushed a new All Comers Record in the women’s 50m backstroke timed final, swimming a 26.23. With her victory, the World Junior record holder denied Brisbane Grammar teammate, Emily Seebohm, a complete sweep of the backstroke events in Adelaide, as Seebohm had already earlier clinched the 100m and 200m titles.
Headed into this meet, Atherton’s 50 back personal best rested at the 26.53 notched last year in Brisbane, but she knocked a solid three tenths off of that performance to take gold this morning. With her outing, Atherton checks-in among the top 20 performers of all-time worldwide in the event.
Seebohm still holds the Australian and Commonwealth Record from her time of 25.83 notched at the 2014 Short Course World Championships.
Atherton broke out in a big way at the 2015 World Junior Championships, nailing 3 gold medals and 3 silvers in Singapore. She still holds the WJR in the 50 LCM backstroke event, but fell short of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic roster for Australia. Last year, Atherton was upstaged by then-15-year-old Kaylee McKeown, who took the #2 backstroke slot on the World Championships squad.
