Inaugural Sydney Open Meet Brings Aussie Talent Trove

2019 Sydney Open Meet

• Friday, May 10th – Sunday, May 12th
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center (SOPAC)
• Heats at 9am local/Finals at 5:30pm local
• Incorporates UniSport Nationals
• LCM
• Meet Site
• Start List

With just about a month to go until Australia’s World Championships Trials, Swimming New South Wales is hosting the inaugural Sydney Open this weekend at SOPAC. Not only is the 3-day competition new to the NSW calendar, but it incorporates the UniSport Australia Swimming Nationals. UniSport Australia is the peak governing body for university sport in Australia, representing the interests of 43 universities and over 1 million students nationally.

As such, there will be university student-athletes intermingled with the elite Australian Dolphins, making for a thrilling mix of amateur and pro athletes. Format-wise, the University finals will be conducted after the ‘A’ Finals for all events, with the top 10 fastest (regardless of club or university entry) will compete in the ‘A’ Final. the next 10 fastest university entries will compete in the University Final, while the next 10 fastest club entries will compete in the Club final.

Points for the University swimmers will be assigned as follows:

In terms of talent, loads of Aussies are on the starting lists, ready to fine-tune their racing ahead of the World Trials. Although we most likely won’t be seeing any out-of-this-world performances due to this fact, we’ll get a gauge as to where the big guns are at with Gwangju-berths on the line next month.

Also in the mix is a host of Japanese swimmers, who are wrapping up a training camp stint in Cairns. They, too, have an additional big meet coming up in the form of the Japan Open, taking place the last weekend in May. That meet will serve as a final chance for swimmers to be added to the Japanese World Championships roster.

Of note, Bronte Campbell is entered in the meet, but released a statement via social media that she is still suffering from a virus and will no longer be competing at these championships. Among those not entered entirely are Emily Seebohm, James Magnussen, Ariarne Titmus, Jack Cartwright, Grant Irvine and Mitch Larkin.

Seebohm is competing at the 2nd stop of the FINA Champions Swim Series, representing the sole Australian there in Budapest this weekend. Cate Campbell and Jack McLoughlin had also both competed in the first stop in Guangzhou, but has returned back to Australia.

Also of note is the fact that Cameron McEvoy is listed under Griffith University and not TSS Aquatics, the club he switched to from Bond in August of last year. I’ve reached out to both Coach Chris Nesbit of TSS and Michael Bohl of Griffith for comment.

Update: Indeed McEvoy trains at TSS, but is merely representing Griffith as uni.

Below are the high-profile athletes entered for the major clubs.

Bond – Minna Atherton, Maddie Gough, Alexander Graham, Jenna Strauch, Laura Taylor, Elijah Winnington

Griffith University – Cameron McEvoy, Emma McKeon, Kiah Melverton, David Morgan, Josh Parrish, Zac Stubblety-Cook

Griffith Uni Swim Club – Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Taylor McKeown

Japan – Tomomi Aoki, Suzuka Hasegawa, Chihiro Igarashi, Yasuhiro Koseki, Katsuhiro Matsumoto, Naoki Mizunuma, Katsumi Nakamura, Yui Ohashi, Natsumi Sakai, Daiya seto, Rio Shirai, Shinri Shioura, Keisuke Yoshida

Knox Pymble – Cate Campbell

Marion – Kyle Chalmers, Josh Palmer, Madi Wilson\

Melbourne Vicentre – Mack Horton

Nunawading – Matthew Temple

QLD University of Technology – Jack McLoughlin

SOPAC – Matt Wilson

Uni of Sunshine Coast – Jake Packard, Kaylee McKeown

USC Spartans – Leah Neale, Mikkayla Sheridan

West Coast – Blair Evans