On the final night of the Victorian Championships 14 year old Japanese swimmer Aine Matsushita was impressive winning the first two women’s events, the 1500 freestyle and the 200 butterfly.
In the 1500 freestyle Matsushita was not challenged, by the half way point of the race she was five seconds ahead of Kate Laidlaw and extended the lead to 13 seconds by the end of the race winning in a time of 17:12.04. In the 200 butterfly Matsushita was behind Jordan White by a full second, but Matsushita took over the lead in the final 50 meters winning in a time of 2:13.72 over a second faster than White who finished second in a time of 2:14.74.
Alicia Coutts also had a good night finishing off the meet by winning the 200 IM and the 50 backstroke.
Coutts won the 200 IM in a time of 2:13.41 four seconds ahead of Holly Brettle won finished second in a time of 2:17.58. In the 50 backstroke Coutts prevented Belinda Hocking from sweeping the backstroke events, but not by much. Coutts won in a time of 28.99 with Hocking right behind her finishing second in a time of 29.09.
The women’s 50 breaststroke saw Short Course World Championship bronze medalist Sarah Katsoulis out swim Olympian Leiston Pickett to win in a time of 31.52.
Melanie Schlanger who had won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle on the previous two nights of the competition won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:59.10.
On the men’s side Olympian Christopher Wright, who won the 200 butterfly earlier in the meet, took top spot in the 100 butterfly in a time of 53.04.
Japanese swimmer Kazuki Watanbe won the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:13.09 three seconds ahead of his teammate Kazuhito Mori who finished second in a time of 2:16.35.
In the final three male events of the evening Matt Targett won the 50 freestyle in a time of 22.22, Travis Mahoney took the 400 IM in a time of 4:27.25 and Benjamin Treffers won the 100 backstroke in a time of 54.80.
The winners of the Multi-Class events included:
Men’s 200 IM – Jeremy Tidy
Women’s 200 IM – Kayla Clarke
Men’s 100 backstroke – Jeremy Tidy
Women’s 100 backstroke – Jacqueline Freney
Men’s 50 freestyle – Rowan Crothers
Women’s 100 freestyle – Jacqueline Freney