Australian National Championships: Day One Finals Live Recap

2016 HANCOCK PROSPECTING AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS)

• Thursday April 7th-Thursday April 14th
• SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre – Adelaide
• Prelims – 11 am local (9:30 pm EDT previous evening); Finals – 7:45 pm local (6:15 am EDT)
• Australian Olympic Qualifying Criteria
• Psych Sheets
• Program of Events
• Live stream
• Live results

WOMEN’S 50 FREE MULTI-CLASS

Ellie Cole took the women’s 50 freestyle in a time of 28.75 setting a new world record in the women’s S9 event. Cole breaks the record of 29.12 set by Lin Ping of China in 2012. Lake Patterson finished second in a time of 30.56 (958 pts) followed by Ashley McConell who posted a 29.52 (952 pts).

MEN’S 50 FREE MULTI-CLASS

Daniel Fox (S14) and Mitchell Kilduff (S14) tied for the win in the men’s MC 50 freestyle both hitting the wall in a time of 24.67 (985 pts). Joshua Alford finished third in a time of 25.18 (927 pts).

MEN’S 400 IM

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 4:15.47
• Top Seed for Tonight – Thomas Fraser-Holmes – 4:16.08
• Australian Record – Thomas Fraser-Holmes – 4:10.14

Thomas Fraser-Holmes took the men’s 400 IM in a time of 4:11.09 placing him second in the world rankings behind Kosuke Hagino. Fraser-Holmes finished over three seconds ahead of the field and was not far off his own Australian record of 4:10.14, which he posted at 2013 Australian Championships.

splits – 25.76/56.04 (30.28)/1:28.23 (32.19)/1:59.86 (31.63)/2:35.37 (35.51)/3:11.81 (36.44)/3:42.29 (30.48)/4:11.09 (28.80)

Travis Mahoney finished second in a time of 4:14.98 improving on his lifetime best of 4:16.90, which he posted at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Both Fraser-Holmes and Mahoney were under the Olympic qualifying time of 4:15.47.

18 year old standout Clyde Lewis finished third in a time of 4:16.58.

1. Thomas Fraser-Holmes – 4:11.09
2. Travis Mahoney – 4:14.98
3. Clyde Lewis – 4:16.58
4. Tomas Elliot – 4:17.91
5. Daniel Tranter – 4:19.31
6. Jared Gilliland – 4:19.60
7. Kazim Boskovic – 4:20.07
8. Hayden Hinds-Sydenham – 4:28.71

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY (semi-final)

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 58.05
• Top Seed for Tonight – Emma McKeon – 57.43
• Australian Record – Jessicah Schipper – 56.23

Emma McKeon improved on both her prelims time of 57.43 and her lifetime best of 57.24, posting a 57.13 to head into tomorrow night’s as the top qualifier. Olympic bronze medalist Alicia Coutts finished second in a time of 57.55 followed by Brianna Throssell who touched in a time of 58.04.

All three women were under the Olympic time standard of 58.05.

Top 8 qualifiers for tomorrow night’s final:

1. Emma McKeon – 57.13
2. Alicia Coutts – 57.55
3. Brianna Throssell – 58.04
4. Madeline Groves – 58.21
5. Brittany Elmslie – 58.61
6. Gemma Cooney – 59.47
7. Jemma Schlicht – 59.55
8. Emily Washer – 1:00.08

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 4:38.20
• Top Seed for Tonight – Keryn McMaster – 4:44.14
• Australian Record – Stephanie Rice – 4:29.45

Blair Evans takes the women’s 400 IM in a time of 4:35.26. Evans qualified to swim the 400 IM at the Olympic Games for the second time after competing in the event at the 2012 games in London where she finished 13th. She not only went under the Olympic qualifying standard of 4:38.20, but she was also quicker than her lifetime best of 4:36.21.

This marks Evans will represent Australia at a major international competition for the first time since the 2012 Olympic Games.

Keryn McMaster was also faster than the Olympic qualifying standard finishing second in a time of 4:37.94.

Ellen Fullerton finished third in a time of 4:39.72.

1. Blair Evans – 4:35.26
2. Keryn McMaster – 4:37.94
3. Ellen Fullerton – 4:39.72
4. Tessa Wallace – 4:44.85
5. Holly Brettle – 4:47.56
6. Tianni Gilmour – 4:48.62
7. Calypso Sheridan – 4:50.93
8. Samantha Wilkins 4:59.73

MEN’S 100 BREAST (Semi-Final)

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 59.75
• Top Seed for Tonight – Jake Packard – 59.64
• Australian Record – Brenton Rickard – 58.58

Jake Packard was the fastest man in the semi-finals recording a time of 59.67, three one-hundredths of a second slower than his prelims time. Packard, who came into the competition as the favourite, continues to look like a lock to win the event. Joshua Palmer was the second fastest qualifier posting a 1:00.21 followed by Nicholas Schaffer who finished in a time of 1:00.49.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

• Olympic Qualifying Standard – 3:47.19
• Top Seed for Tonight – Mack Horton – 3:44.90
• Australian Record – Ian Thorpe – 3:40.08

Mack Horton posted a 3:44.90 in the prelims of the men’s 400 freestyle putting him in the top spot in the world rankings, tonight he returned to the pool to record a time over three seconds faster. Horton won the event in a time of 3:41.65 improving on his lifetime best of 3:42.84, which he posted at the Australian Championships last year.

Horton’s time is almost a second faster than Sun Yang‘s World Championship winning time of 3:42.58.

splits – 25.68/53.75 (28.07)/1:22.29 (28.54)/1:50.87 (28.58)/2:18.71 (27.84)/2:46.75 (28.04)/3:14.29 (27.54)/3:41.65 (27.36)

Horton’s split times were extremely impressive, negative splitting the race taking the first 200 meters out in a time of 1:50.87 and returning in a time of 1:50.78.

David McKeon finished second in a time of 3:45.09 followed by Jack McLoughlin who hit the wall in a time of 3:46.27. All three men were under the Olympic qualifying time of 3:47.19.

Horton, McKeon and McLoughlin now occupy the top three spots in the world rankings.

Grant Hackett finished fourth in a time of 3:48.84. Hackett’s only shot to make his fourth Olympic team will be in the 200 freestyle.

1. Mack Horton – 3:41.65
2. David McKeon – 3:45.09
3. Jack McLoughlin – 3:46.27
4. Grant Hackett – 3:48.84
5. Jacob Hansford – 3:49.22
6. Jordan Harrison – 3:51.17
7. Jordan Merriless – 3:55.01

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

• Top Seed for Tonight – Minna Atherton – 27.83
• Australian Record – Emily Seebohm – 27.47

Emily Seebohm took the women’s 50 backstroke in a time of 27.72 followed by teammate Minna Atherton who finished in a time of 27.80 and Holly Barratt who recorded a 27.90. Seebohm and Atherton currently rank third in the world, both having put up times of 27.49 earlier this season.

1. Emily Seebohm – 27.72
2. Minna Atherton – 27.80
3. Holly Barratt – 27.90
4. Kaylee McKeown – 28.10
5. Sian Whittaker – 28.33
6. Zoe Williams – 28.98
7. Jessica Unicomb – 29.06
8. Tanya Stovgaard – 29.80

MEN’S 50 FLY

• Top Seed for Tonight – Cameron McEvoy – 23.57
• Australian Record – Matt Targett – 22.73

Ryan Pini of Papua New Guinea set a new national record winning the men’s 50 butterfly in a time of 23.67. Pini beats his own record of 23.77, which he recorded at the Australian Championships last year. He finished just ahead of Daniel Lester who hit the wall in a time of 23.72 followed by David Morgan who posted a 23.76.

Cameron McEvoy who was the top qualifier in the prelims posting a time of 23.57 did not swim in this evening’s finals.

1. Ryan Pini – 23.67
2. Daniel Lester – 23.72
3. David Morgan – 23.76
4. Cameron Jones – 23.90
5. Christopher Raven – 23.96
6. Christopher Wright – 24.00
7. Te Hau Maxwell – 24.06
8. Thomas Meggitt – 24.39