2024 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friday, March 15th – Sunday, March 17th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Start List Preview
- Heats Program
Although the 2024 New South Wales State Open Championships is a non-selection competition, the amount of star power headed to the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center means we shouldn’t be without must-see action.
The official heats program is now published, therefore, let’s look at five must-see races taking place this weekend as a preview to Australia’s Trials in June.
#1 Women’s 100m Freestyle
Veterans and newcomers are set to collide in the women’s 100m freestyle. Reigning Olympic champion Emma McKeon leads the way. Still, the 29-year-old will be matched up against 200m free world record holder Mollie O’Callaghan, 400m free world record holder Ariarne Titmus and racing mainstay Bronte Campbell.
A pair of 17-year-olds are also in the mix, with World Junior Championships gold medalist Olivia Wunsch of Carlile and Bond’s Hannah Casey ready to break through into the senior ranks. Wunsch has been as quick as 53.71 in her career while Casey’s PB rests at the 54.30 notched in 2022.
Shayna Jack of St. Peters Western is the highest-ranked Australian this season (52.76) but will not be competing here. McKeon is next in line, owning a season-best of 53.00 from last month’s Victorian Open Championships.
MOC and C2 are neck-and-neck, with the former carrying a season-best of 53.27 into this meet to the latter’s 53.30.
O’Callaghan topped the final podium at the 2023 Australian World Championships Trials in 52.48. McKeon was a hair behind in 52.52. It took a minimum of 54.44 to make it into the top 8 at the 2023 Australian World Championships Trials as a testament to how frighteningly deep the Aussie women’s sprint freestyle field truly is.
#2 Men’s 200m Freestyle
5 of the top 16 best-ever men’s Aussie 200m freestyle performers are entered in the event this weekend. That includes 20-year-old Maximillian Giuliani of Miami who has solidified himself as one of the premier 200m freestylers on the planet, let alone within the nation of Australia.
His time of 1:44.79 from December’s Queensland Championships ranks Giuliani #2 in the world this season and the top Australian by just under 2 seconds.
Next behind Giuliani in the all-time rankings is Alex Graham, whose personal best of 1:45.22 from 2021 makes him the 5th-quickest Aussie ever. The 28-year-old brought 2 relay bronze medals home from Tokyo and helped the Aussies bag 4x200m bronze last year in Fukuoka.
But Kyle Chalmers, Zac Incerti and Flynn Southam lurk among the field this weekend.
#3 Women’s 200 Back
I debated listing the women’s 100m back or 200m back in this preview, as both are packed with major weapons.
The obvious choice for gold in both distances is Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown, the reigning world record holder across all 3 backstroke events.
22-year-old McKeown of Griffith University owns a season-best 2back of 2:04.81 from last October’s Budapest stop of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.
Since then, American Regan Smith has been faster, establishing a world-leading 2:03.99 last weekend at the Westmont Pro Swim Series.
McKeown will seek to regain the rankings crown but must fend off challengers MOC, Hannah Fredericks and Cruiz’s Abbey Webb at this domestic competition.
In reality, it’s McKeown against the clock, as this is the meet at which she set the current world record at 2:03.14.
#4 Men’s 100m Butterfly
Chalmers is entered in the 100m fly where he’ll be matched up against Cody Simpson, for one.
We’ve reported how Aussie head coach Rohan Taylor has tabbed Simpson as a real Olympic berth contender, further boosting the former pop star’s confidence against a blistering field.
Although both men have proven their mettle in this event, all eyes will be on Matt Temple, seeing if the 24-year-old can be on the same pace that established the Australian and Oceanian record of 50.25 at December’s Japan Open.
Interestingly, Clyde Lewis, Australia’s #3 200m free performer all-time, is opting out of that event but is instead among this pack.
The 26-year-old St. Peters Western Olympian owns a PB of 53.53 from 2018. With such a long period between swims, we’ll have to wait and see what he’s able to produce.
#5 Women’s 200m Freestyle
As with the 100m sprint, this women’s 200m free carries stellar depth as a preview of the upcoming Trials.
Current world record holder MOC leads the field but reigning Olympic champion Titmus will be right in the mix, as will Casey and Lani Pallister.
In June, the fight will be not only for individual 200m free roster slots but also a coveted spot on the women’s 4x200m free relay.
McKeown appears to have thrown her hat into the ring for a relay spot, having raced in this event on multiple occasions.
At the Queensland Championships, McKeown clocked a new lifetime best of 1:56.14 as just her 2nd-ever foray under the 1:57 barrier. That time would have rendered her the 4th place finisher at the 2023 World Championships Trials, beating Madi Wilson‘s time of 1:56.68.
Wilson has since gone on a competitive swimming hiatus since announcing her pregnancy in January. That’s one less competitor to sweep out of the way if McKeown indeed pursues relay qualification.
Word is Max is about to do something amazing in the 200 free
will it be streamed anywhere?
Doesn’t look like it will – barring a last-minute miracle!
SNSW now (at least) has a Live Results link on their page – only just went up yesterday.
Other points on a few events:
W100FREE – definitely Milla Jansen is another junior to watch. She has been faster than Casey and (I think) is slightly younger.
M100FLY – also includes Champion, Coleman and Armbruster – pretty much every leading Aust. contender in this event will be involved.
W100BR – Strauch and some of the better juniors (plus Mikayla Smith) are listed. Of particular interest, given our ongoing problems in this event. Kaylee not swimming it though.
M100FREE – I think this is actually more interesting than the 200. Aside from… Read more »