On the 2nd day of the 2013 Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney, Alicia Coutts took her rightful role at the lead of Australian women’s swimming with a pair of impressive victories.
The first came in the women’s 50 fly, where she won in 25.48. That’s a lifetime best for her in the short course event, though admittedly she hasn’t swum it since 2010, and makes her 3rd in the world very early in the just-begun short course season.
Ellen Gandy, who beginning with the 2014 Pan Pac/Commonwealth run will officially be representing Australia rather than her native Britain, took 2nd in 26.14, and 17-year old Chris Licciardi was 3rd in 26.37.
Coutts’ other win on the day came in the women’s 100 free, shy of the mega-star Cate Campbell, with a 53.46. This is again a lifetime best for her (though, we’d continue to note that she doesn’t swim short course meters all that often).
Kelly Stubbins, who missed the World Championship Team but had a strong go at the U.S. Open instead, took 2nd in 53.67, and Melissa Mitchell was 3rd in 53.91.
Melanie Schlanger, part of the 400 free relay that took gold in London, was 4th in 53.96 in her first action since removing herself from the Australian World Championship roster.
In other women’s events, Sally Foster won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.69, almost a full second ahead of Leiston Pickett’s 1:05.41.
Aisling Scott won the women’s 400 IM in 4:35.95. That cuts nearly four seconds off of her lifetime best, mirroring the huge improvements she had in long course this summer as well. Generally, though, she’s still a far superior short course swimmer than long course. Samantha Wilkins took 2nd in 4:38.20.
The women’s 200 back, with no Meagen Nay, went to Belinda Hocking in 2:03.14, followed by Hayley White in 2:04.28. Defending champion Jordan White finished in a tie for 7th, over four seconds slower than she was in 2012.
In the men’s races, a newcomer Hugo Morris was a 1:53.47 to win the 200 fly at just 19, beating a 1:53.99 from National Record holder Christopher Wright. That’s a lifetime best by 10 seconds for Morris.
Kenneth To, recently back from the Short Course World Championships, won the 100 short course meter freestyle in 47.03, followed by Nunawading’s Travis Mahoney (47.58) and Bobby Hurley (47.74).
Hurley would win the 50 back later in 23.23. That shaved .01 seconds off of his Australian All-Comers Record (aka, Australian Open Record) that was set back in 2008, though he was still a couple-of-tenths short of his overall National Record.
Other winners include David McKeon, who won a sleepy men’s 400 free in 3:45.23, and Max Ireland, who won the men’s 50 breaststroke in 27.44 (no Christian Sprenger),
Oh woww.. I didn’t know the pick em worlds contest winner was Bobby Hurley…