The best swimmers from across Australia will come together at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Adelaide tomorrow for the 2014 Australian Short Course Championships.
The event, which doubles as selection trials for the 12th FINA World Short Course Championships in Doha, will see over 400 athletes from 130 clubs compete over the five day event which will run from Wednesday November 5 to Sunday November 9.
Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championship gold medallists Cameron McEvoy, Emma McKeon, Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm will all race for short course success and the chance to gain selection onto the Australian Team headed for Doha in December.
Swimming Australia Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren said after a busy year, some of the swimmers would use the short course championships as training and skill development ahead of the long course nationals and world championships next year.
“Our team has had a very busy year in the pool and for many of the swimmers, the short course championships will be an important phase of their training and skill development leading into the long course national championships next year.
There are a number of swimmers out recovering from injury and they are resting up and preparing for another busy year next year, others are using this event to improve their race skills and a number of the swimmers will be looking for a spot on the World Short Course team, so I have no doubt it will be a competitive week of racing,” Verhaeren said.
Gold medallist in the 100m freestyle at the Australian Championships in April and the Hancock Prospecting Pan Pacific Championships in August, McEvoy will be looking to add the short course title to his tally when he lines up behind the blocks this week.
The Gold Coast local will need to keep an eye on his fellow Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs teammates Tomasso D’Orsogna and Matthew Abood as well as local sprint sensation Kyle Chalmers.
Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championship gold medallist in the 100m backstroke, Emily Seebohm will face tough competition in the form of rising star Madison Wilson who is racing fresh off the back of her FINA World Cup success.
After clocking the Australian record in the 200m backstroke in October at the FINA World Cup in Beijing with a time of 1:48.69, Mitch Larkin has proven he is in fine form ahead of the championships and the 21-year-old will need to be when he faces former Australian record holder Ashley Delaney and short course specialist Robert Hurley.
With the absence of Cate Campbell, a new short course sprint queen will be crowned in the women’s 50m freestyle with Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Brittany Elmslie all in the running for the title. Bronte will be the one to beat but McKeon and Elmslie have been rising through the ranks and their recent form suggests a close race for first place.
Don’t discount short course specialist Marieke D’Cruz who holds the second fastest time on the Australian All Time Top Ten and could challenge for a place on the podium.
The 2014 Australian Short Course Championships will take place from Wednesday November 5 to Sunday November 9 at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Adelaide.
Heats commence at 10:00am (SA time) with Finals from 6:30pm (SA Time), tickets are available at http://www.proticket.com.au
Full results and information can be found at http://www.swimming.org.au.
The above is a press release submitted by Swimming Australia.
No Thomas Fraser-Holmes?
Yeah, Fraser-Holmes will be swimming, but in some off events for him. The only main event that he usually swims and will swim is, is the 200m IM
Kind of weird. I was really hoping for a match between him and Agnel in the 200free!
Adam Kalms should be in AUS squad.