2019 Aussie World Trials Day 6 Finals: Chalmers Completes Sprint Trifecta

2019 AUSTRALIAN WORLD SWIMMING TRIALS

• Sunday, June 9th – Friday, June 14th
• Brisbane Aquatic Centre
• LCM
• Meet Site
• Swimming Australia 2019 World Championships – Selection Policy
• Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap/Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap/Day 4 Finals Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Recap/Day 5 Finals Recap
• Day 6 Prelims Recap
• Live Results
• Live Stream

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Kyle Chalmers, 22.09
• SILVER – Cameron McEvoy, 22.29
• BRONZE – Jonte Blake, 22.31

It wasn’t a firestorm, but the 20-year-old Kyle Chalmers indeed completed his trifecta of sprint victories here in Brisbane.

After taking the 100m and 200m free titles in world-class times, including a PB of 47.35 in the former to re-take over the world rankings throne, Chalmers touched in 22.09 here tonight. That time is just .02 outside the Marion swimmer’s personal best, making this one heck of a meet for the reigning Olympic champion in the 100m free.

TSS Aquatics’ Cameron McEvoy fought hard throughout this meet to try to make the World Championships squad, but the 25-year-old textile World Record holder just couldn’t make it happen, as McEvoy touched in 22.29 for silver tonight, well-off the stiff 21.77 needed for Gwangju.

Bronze went to 19-year-old Western Australianer Jonte Blake, with the teen crushing his previous personal best of 22.51 from Aussie Nationals this past April.

Bottom line, the Aussies are well off the world’s leading times that fall easily into the mid- to low-21’s. Brazil’s Bruno Fratus, for instance, just fired off a wicked-fast 21.31 just at the Mare Nostrum, while these men aren’t under the 22-second threshold at a championships.

Although Chalmers also missed the 21.77 50 free QT from Worlds, with his already having qualified in the 100/200, he may get the nod to go ahead and race this event as well. However, as of publishing, Aussie media is stating that Chalmers says he may drop the 50 event even if he were to be given the opportunity.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Cate Campbell, 24.05 *Worlds QT
• SILVER – Bronte Campbell, 24.17 * Worlds QT
• BRONZE – Emma McKeon, 24.25 *Worlds QT

After a menacing women’s 100m free final from last night where we were treated to 3 sub-53 second swims, many of the same women composing that race were back it tonight in the 50m.

Cate Campbell took her 2nd title of these Championships with the 24.05 win this evening. That easily dips under the 24.59 QT needed for Gwangju, as her sister Bronte Campbell also gets the nod with a big-time 24.17.

Emma McKeon wowed the crowd once again with another PB, her 3rd of the week. Entering these championships the Griffith University’s best time was the 24.34 logged at Pan Pacs.

C1 already holds the 2nd fastest time in the world this season with the 24.00 thrown down at the FINA Champions Series in Guangzhou, China.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• GOLD – David Morgan & Matthew Temple, 51.47
• BRONZE – Grant Irvine, 51.62

Nunawading’s Matthew Temple flew to his best time ever and his first swim under 52 seconds en route to gold tonight.

Entering these championships the 19-year-old’s personal best rested at the 52.16 he notched at Nationals, but the man found an entirely new gear to crush his first 51-point time on a monster 51.47.

Tying him was David Morgan, the winner of the 200m fly here in a World Championships-worthy mark in that event. With his name already on the roster, Morgan may be granted the 1fly event as well in Gwangju, despite falling just short of the QT.

Grant Irvine touched in 51.62 tonight, off his PB of 51.00 from 2017.

Both Morgan and Temple now enter the world rankings at slot #6, although they both narrowly missed the incredibly difficult 51.31 QT set by Swimming Australia.

In terms of all-time Aussie performers in the event, Morgan remains at #3, while Temple now joins him there.

All-Time Aussie Men 100 Fly Performers:

1 – 50.85 Andrew Lauterstein 1987 Rome 01.08.09
2 – 51.00 Grant Irvine 1991 Budapest 29.07.17
3 – 51.47 David Morgan, Matthew Temple TONIGHT
4 – 51.66 Jayden Hadler 1993 Sydney 07.04.15
5 – 51.67 Christopher Wright 1988 Adelaide 21.03.12

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Kaylee McKeown, 2:06.35 *Worlds QT
• SILVER – Minna Atherton, 2:06.82 *Worlds QT
• BRONZE – Emily Seebohm, 2:08.58

The writing was on the wall after all for reigning world champion and Olympic medalist in the women’s 200m back Emily Seebohm after 2 teenagers led the field fiercely after the morning heats.

This morning it was Seebhom’s 19-year-old Brisbane Grammar teammate Minna Atherton who led the heat pack in a big-time 2:07.83, but she took things to a new level along with USC Spartan Kaylee McKeown tonight.

17-year-old ISL Aqua Centurions member McKeown busted out an incredible 2:06.35 for the victory tonight, while Atherton touched in 2:06.82. Both women cleared the 2:07.64 QT and established new personal bests in the process.

McKeown has been in the spotlight in this event before, nailing a tremendous 4th place finish in 2017 behind Seebohm in that women’s 200m back at just 15 years of age for a new World Junior Record at the time (2:06.76).

Atherton’s PB entering this final was the time she fired off this morning.

McKeown now makes this 3 events on her Worlds lineup after qualifying in the 100m back and 200m IM.

Both women move up now on the list of all-time Aussie performers. Also of note is that 15-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan of St. Peters Western took 4th in a new PB of 2:13.81.

Seebohm is now out of the World Championships after a remarkable 12 years on the team.

All-time Aussie women in 200 back:

1 – 2:05.61 Emily Seebohm 1992 Budapest 29.07.17
2 – 2:06.06 Belinda Hocking 1990 Shanghai 29.07.11
3 – 2:06.35 Kaylee McKeown TONIGHT
4- 2:06.82 Minna Atherton TONIGHT
5  – 2:07.16 Meagen Nay 1988 Santa Clara 18.06.11

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• GOLD – Thomas Fraser-Holmes, 4:14.68 *Worlds QT
• SILVER – Brendon Smith, 4:17.35
• BRONZE – Jared Gilliland, 4:19.46

Just one man made the grade in the 400m IM, but was an important win for Thomas Fraser-Holmes.

Last year Fraser-Holmes had completed his 12-month ban for having missed 3 random drug tests over a 12-month period. Officially cut-off from the Dolphins national team both financially and training-wise, Fraser-Holmes began training again alone in December 2017 after having taken 6 months off.

He redeemed himself with a silver medal in the SCM version of this 400m IM at the 2018 Short Course World Championships in Hangzhou.

Earlier this year he cranked out a mark of 4:14.32, his fastest outing since 2016, and he made it happen tonight in 4:14.68 to punch his ticket to Gwangju.

18-year-old Brendon Smith was originally disqualified in the prelims but that was overturned to give the teen a shot here tonight. He collected silver in 4:17.35 for the 2nd fastest time of his career.

Jared Gilliland took bronze in 4:19.46, while Thomas Hauck, just 16, earned 4th in 4:21.52, the 2nd fastest of his young career.