2024 SWIMMING WA SEASON OPENER (AUS)
- Saturday, May 18th – Sunday, May 19th
- HBF Stadium, Western Australia
- LCM (50m)
- Results: Meet Mobile – 2024 Swimming WA Winter Season Opener (LC)
With the 2024 Swimming Australia Olympic Trials on the horizon for next month, several swimmers dove in for final tune-ups at the Swimming Western Australia Season Opener which began today.
Among the participants was World Championships multi-medalist Iona Anderson of Breakers WA.
18-year-old Anderson raced in the women’s 200m backstroke event, however, her results suggest she used the race as a vehicle to focus on the first 100m as a time trial.
Anderson busted out an opening 100m of 58.53 to establish a new lifetime best and first-ever foray under the 59-second barrier in the event.
Opening in 28.33 and closing in 30.20, Anderson’s effort crushed her previous career-quickest result of 59.12, the time which garnered her silver behind American Claire Curzan (58.29) at this year’s World Championships.
Comparing the splits between Anderson’s 2 best performances, the Breakers star attacked both ends of today’s performance, slicing time off from start to finish to become Australia’s #4 women’s 100m backstroke performer in history.
| Anderson’s New PB – 58.53 | Anderson’s Previous PB – 59.12 |
| 28.33 | 28.59 |
| 30.20 | 30.53 |
Top 5 Australian Women’s LCM 100 Backstroker Performers All-Time
- Kaylee McKeown – 57.33, 2023
- Mollie O’Callaghan – 58.09, 2024
- Emily Seebohm – 58.23, 2012
- Iona Anderson – 58.53, 2024
- Minna Atherton – 58.60, 2019
Although world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown appears to be the shoo-in for the top spot in the women’s 100m back at next month’s Trials, the 2nd roster slot will be chased by a plethora of talent.
Mollie O’Callaghan ranks as the 2nd-fastest Aussie woman in history, although it’s not a sure thing she’ll contest the event at Trials, let alone seek a Paris berth in the event.
Fellow Aussie finalist in Doha Jaclyn Barclay looks primed to make a run, as does new mom Emily Seebohm who is trying for a possible 5th consecutive Olympic Games appearance.
Rapidly improving Hanna Fredricks dipped under the minute barrier for the first time at last month’s Open Championships, hitting 59.69 also to put her hat into the possible Olympic qualification ring.
57 at trials
I’d been thinking she’d probably go a 58 at trials but damn this is a very pleasant surprise, I certainly wasn’t expecting a 58.5 a fews weeks before it
Agreed
What will it take to final in Paris….58mid?
The two per national rule will prevent if from being that fast.
Only 8 swimmers since Jan 2023 have been below 58.9, and they’re from only 3 countries.
A 59 flat should comfortably qualify. A 59.6 qualified in Fukuoka.
Which is a real shame.
Only 18 rapidly improving i expect her to make Paris with Kayleen in the 100 Back . MOC wont swim it .Barclay also 18 will make the team with Kayleen in the 200 back so women’s backstroke in Aussie looking sound
Barclay still only 17
Wont be 18 until December.
speaking of Barclay not aging up until December that gives her plenty of time to try and get MOC’s age record (58.86)
Who on earth is Kayleen ??? (yes, we all know who it’s supposed to be but PLEASE exercise just a few seconds to proof read)
They used it twice in this comment section so they must really think she’s a Kayleen rather than it just being a typo.
AND KevinN edited it after initially submitting – but not to correct those 2 glaring typos!
I wanna see USA vs AUS vs CAN 4×100 backstroke relay
How do you make 4×100 back???
How’s the start like for the 2,3,4th swimmers?
Dive start like in Masters
Wow! 😳 I saw this notification yesterday and ignored it because of the time (2:27.32). Didn’t think to check the splits.
Can we please not pretend Seebohm is going to even get close to making Paris
Let’s revisit this comment in a month…. what’s getting close mean?? She put up an excellent time in the 200 at the Sydney open..
100 will be a bigger challenge for sure
2:11.42 is far from excellent…if she swims that at trials she won’t even make Finals.
2:11.42 is a very solid untapered time. And it probably would make the final at trials. But presumably she will be faster
2:11 was good in the 70s with flip turns
I think “not even close” is a bit much, but yes, it seems extremely unlikely she will qualify
Damn at this point you could fill an Olympic/Worlds 100 Back Final with exclusively American and Australians.
Add Canadians and you’d be right
canadian singular
Top 8 since 1 Jan 2023:
1. McKeown (AUS)
2. Smith (USA)
3. Masse (CAN)
4. Berkoff (USA)
5. MOC (AUS)
6. Curzan (USA)
7. Anderson (AUS)
8. Wilm (CAN)
Literally the top 8 is just 3 countries
I suspect we can see a 58 in the French trials, a lot of competition between mahieu, moluh, pigree, terebo (everyone have 59, with mahieu lead 59,3)
Yep Kayleen , Molly , Isona and Barclay Aussie