2021 QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Saturday, December 11th – Friday, December 17th
- Brisbane Aquatic Centre
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Preview
- Entries
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap
- Results
The end of the Queensland Championships overlapped with this year’s FINA Short Course World Championships which means you may have missed some of the key swims which took place down under. We’ve highlighted several notable performances from the week-long Aussie meet here so you can be in the know on all fronts.
Men’s 200m Breaststroke
22-year-old Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook hit a big-time effort of 2:07.00 to take gold here at Brisbane Aquatic Centre, capturing the 3rd quickest time of his still-rising career. His result also checked in as a new Queensland All Comers Record, a standard that represents the speediest time ever recorded on Queensland soil.
Stubblety-Cook turned on the jets to split 1:01.99/1:05.01 to register the 2nd 2:07.00 time of his career. His other identical result came at the Syndey Open in May of this year.
His time here still would have won Olympic gold.
Women’s 50m Freestyle
17-year-old Olympic medalist Mollie O’Callaghan reaped gold in her age category’s 50m freestyle race with a mark of 25.19. She owns a personal best of 24.80 from the Olympic Trials as a point of reference.
Taking the open category for the women’s 50m free was 23-year-old Shayna Jack, the woman who is competing for the first time since having served a two-year suspension to having tested positive for a banned substance in 2019.
Jack put up a time of 24.41 to beat the field, a result which stands as the 2nd fastest time of her career. The St. Peters Western athlete owns a PB of 24.38 from the 2019 Australian Championships, so tonight’s effort falls just .03 outside of that standard.
Men’s 16-Yr-Old 50m Freestyle
16-year-old sprint ace Flynn Southam clocked a time of 22.67 to win his age category’s 50m free title. Southam’s effort shaved .07 off of the Queensland All Comers Record previously held by New Zealand swimmer Michael Pickett at 22.74 from 2019.
Women’s 200m Freestyle
O’Callaghan snagged the 200 free victory on the first night of individual swims at these Queensland Championships. She posted a time of 1:56.51, good enough to beat out teammate and reigning 400 free and 200m free Olympic gold ,medalist Ariarne Titmus.
We reported how, as of September, the Dean Boxall-trained star hadn’t swum a lap since her Tokyo success, giving her mind and body time to rest and take stock of what she accomplished this summer. 21-year-old Titmus took silver in the 2free here in 1:57.36.
Women’s 400m Free
Titmus was in total control of the 400m free, posting a super solid return effort of 4:04.64 to take the race by about 3 seconds. St. Peters Western training mate Kiah Melverton was next in line in 4:07.63 while Griffith’s 24-year-old Moesha Johnson was good enough for bronze in 4:08.00.
For perspective, Titmus’ 4:04.64 time here would have placed 6th in that Tokyo final as a testament to how dangerous the Dean Boxall–trained swimmer is in this distance.
Men’s 100m Free
The men’s 100 free open category saw Southam bust out a time of 49.40 to check-in as the newly-minted Queensland Age Record holder over icon Ian Thorpe.
Southam masterfully split 24.62/24.78 to notch a lifetime best and get the edge over Olympian Tommy Neill who touched in 49.43.
Here is the video of Southam’s 49.40 race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjsJzJ-mx68
Zac Stubblety cook and his 2:07 doesn’t get a mention? That time would have won Olympic gold right?
So true, everyone forgets zsc
Very excited for O’Callaghan and Southam. They could end up being key parts of the team in Paris both individually and on relays if they are able to shave off time as they continue to grow.
I’m still unsure on Shayna Jack. She will most likely make a relay if she keeps this up, but her individual events are so competitive (50-200 free and occasionally 100 back but not really) that she would have to step up majorly or someone else would need to fail for her to get one.
Jack’s individual hopes depend a bit on what the Cate decides. If Cate doesn’t get back for Worlds next year she may have a chance at a 50 free spot and then there’s Comm Games where three athletes are allowed per event.
I was really impressed by O’Callaghan’s 4:08 to win the age final especially when you consider she had as much time off as Titmus. Her stroke seems really suited to mid distance.
400 free age final that is.
did she have as much time off as Titmus?
anyway she was awesome with something like 12 events ( heats and finals of each)
Perhaps their breaks weren’t the same but that’s the impression I got from this quote.
There’s an article at SWM where a coach from St Peters discusses Mollie’s big program.
I wonder if the 200 is her best event. But then again only swimmers faster then her @ 17years or younger in the 100 free are Cate Campbell, Penny Oleksiak, Taylor Ruck & Ikee Rikako. Pretty impressive company there.
Southam essentially negative split that 100 free – if you discount the dive.
And the turn