Kenneth To rolled into this weekend’s New South Wales State Championship (SCM) meet and showed that he’s ready to roll toward Rio after major back surgery a year ago.
The underwater specialist won 5 events in short course meters as a tune-up for the upcoming World Cup events in Asia (which break from tradition and race in long course this season).
His meet began with a record-breaking 1:55.55 in the 200 IM – the fastest mark in the world, albeit very early in the short course season. That time broke the New South Wales All-Comers’ Record (aka, the fastest time ever swum on New South Wales’ soil). The old record of 1:55.90 was held by a legend: Marcel Wouda of the Netherlands swam a 1:55.90 in 1998. Wouda is a former World Champion in the 200 IM and was the first ever Dutch male World Champion in swimming.
That was To’s only victory on a light Friday afternoon session, but in a split-session, timed final day on Saturday, he got 4 more: all in 100 meter events.
First came morning wins in the 100 IM (52.72) and the 100 free (47.68) – both of which were short of Ryk Neethling’s All-Comers’ records.
Then in the afternoon session, he won the 100 fly (51.55) and his most competitive race in the 100 breast (59.37): not an event he typically specializes in, but an important one as he pushes for a spot on the Australian Olympic Team in the 200 IM.
That 200 IM is an event where there’s some opportunity for To – Australia’s highest-ranked swimmer in the event globally in 2015 is Justin James, who wasn’t even on the Worlds team. James tied for 15th in the world with a 1:58.38 in long course at the World University Games.
On the women’s side of the meet, there were some big names that took victories, though none in as impressive of times as To’s early 200 IM.
Veteran and former short course World Record holder Marieke D’Cruz (nee Guehrer) picked up 4 victories. Her first on Friday came in the 50 free with a 25.00 to beat out fellow National-level swimmer Ami Matsuo (25.42) – the two separated by a decade in age.
On Saturday, she then took victories in the 50 fly (26.56) and 100 free (54.43) – the latter another Matsuo matchup.
Matsuo didn’t walk away from the meet empty-hanted; later on Saturday she won the 200 free by over a second with a 1:57.75.
D’Cruz wasn’t done either, though, and picked up a 59.71 in the 100 fly in the last session for a 4th and final individual victory.