Video Of 16-Yr-Old Flynn Southam’s 48.05 SCM 100 Free At QLD C’ships

2021 QUEENSLAND SHORT COURSE C’SHIPS

One of the most notable performances from over the weekend at the 2021 Queensland Short Course Championships came in the form of 16-year-old Flynn Southam‘s 100m freestyle victory.

The Bond University athlete threw down a big-time personal best of 48.05 to take the SCM victory, nailing a new Aussie national age group record in the process.

Entering this meet, Southam had never before been under 51, with the Bond swimmer’s personal best from 2019 resting at 51.50. He was 51.58 in 2020 but nowhere near the 48.05 he just threw down to scorch the field by well over a second.

Southam remarkably essentially event-split this race today, opening in 24.01 and bringing it home nearly exactly the same way in 24.04.

With his 48.05 performance, Southam easily overtook the previous Australian national age record for 16-year-olds which stood at 48.65. That mark was produced by 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers whose performance at the age of 16 snagged the record away from legend Ian Thorpe (48.74).

This isn’t the first time Southam claimed an age record once held by Chalmers.

In December of 2020, a then-15-year-old Southam broke through in a big way, firing off a big lifetime best of 49.66 in the men’s 100m freestyle at the Queensland LC Championships. His time overtook the Aussie Age Record of 49.68 also held Chalmers. Southam would drop that done to 49.55 in April of this year before taking a short break and not pursuing Tokyo.

You can also view Southam’s 100m backstroke swim which registered a time of 53.62 to make him Australia’s 5th fastest 16-year-old ever.

 

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Paul
2 years ago

Popovici 47.30 LCM…

Joel
Reply to  Paul
2 years ago

We are still able to celebrate other fast swimmers though. (Popovici is crazy fast – we all know that. ).

Robbos
Reply to  Paul
2 years ago

Popovici is 17 years old, did this swim @ 16 & 8 months. Southam is just 15 years.
Example Phelps was 5th in Olympics in 200 fly at 15 years old @ 16 he was world record holder

Troyy
Reply to  Robbos
2 years ago

Southam is 16 since around about late May or early June.

Drama King
2 years ago

Wasn’t there an another 17 yr old guy, threw up 46 high scm relay split last year. Taylor Kai or someone ?

Joel
Reply to  Drama King
2 years ago

Kai Taylor perhaps. Hayley Lewis’ son. Not sure about the time.

Troyy
Reply to  Drama King
2 years ago

I think you must be misremembering.

There's no doubt that he's tightening up
2 years ago

Thank you for specifying SCM

Pvdh
2 years ago

Bro I thought this was lcm…

Robbos
Reply to  Pvdh
2 years ago

Yes I wish they would highlight SCM & yards in the headings.

Rafael
Reply to  Pvdh
2 years ago

Popovici took all the joy on age Group swimmimg

Jackman
2 years ago

Feels like he might be trying to get NCAA recruited

M d e
Reply to  Jackman
2 years ago

He has another year or two of school left, he will probably be on the comm games team next year. Don’t think it has much to do with NCAA necessarily.

Curious swimmer
Reply to  M d e
2 years ago

Some just want to assume everyone wants in on the American scy racing lol, this is an American website after all

M d e
Reply to  Curious swimmer
2 years ago

I think for most australian male age groupers it is a great idea, offers them support for an extra 4 or so years to progress from being a good age grouper to an elite open level athlete.

Flynn isn’t going to be a swimmer that needs that time to continue to develop physically.

Togger
Reply to  Jackman
2 years ago

Aye, because when you email coaches saying “Hi, my name’s Flynn I’d like to swim for you and I go 48.05 SCM” the first response will be “Hi Flynn, please can you link me a video so I can have a look at your technique”.

Last edited 2 years ago by Togger
Troyy
2 years ago

He uploaded the negative split 100 back too.

M d e
Reply to  Troyy
2 years ago

His 100 back was absolutely nuts.

Last edited 2 years ago by M d e

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Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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