For all of the fireworks put on in the 100 free at last week’s Australian National Championships by 16-year old Kyle Chalmers, his 50 free results weren’t nearly as impressive. He swam a 23.17 in prelims and a 23.24 in the semi-finals to finish 16th, and wasn’t close to his lifetime best in the event.
But with the pressure to make the World Championships team off this week at the Australian National Age Group Championships in Sydney, Chalmers will be free to let-fly in a bigger variety of events, starting with that 50 free on Tuesday.
There, he swam a 22.33, which makes him the fastest swimmer in Australian history in this event at 16-years old, breaking the old record of 22.48 set in 2010 by Te Haumi Maxwell. He’s actually not too far off of Cameron McEvoy’s record for 17-year olds, which is just 22.26.
The star junior wasn’t exactly racing alone in this event, though he did win by more than half-a-second. Jack Cartwright won silver in 22.96, which places him 8th all-time Aussie 16-year olds. The top 5 in this race all sit inside the top 15 of all-time, even including the rankings being expanded by Tuesday’s results.
The 16-year olds age group continued to be the stars of the night, with the girls’ 50 free going to Shayna Jack from Chandler in 25.36. Jack has been in “elite territory” for at least three years already, and she’d been sitting on a sprint plateau coming into this meet, as she acknowledged in post race comments.
“It wasn’t quite a PB (personal best), but it was close and I haven’t gone under 25.5 for a while so that was good,” Jack said. “It’s the tough ones that make it, the ones that don’t give up and I want to be tough.”
In the age group’s 400 free, Tasmin Cook picked up her 2nd win of the meet, swimming a 4:09.36. That’s well off of her National Record set in the event last week, but is still much faster than what won this meet last year. Chelsea Gubecka was her runner-up again in 4:16.70, marking the same finish order as the 200 fly earlier in the meet.
And in the boys’ 16-year olds 100 breaststrokes, Matthew Wilson swam a 1:03.10 to beat out George Harley (1:03.64) and Bryce Skea (1:03.86). All three were faster than the time that won this age group last year.
Full, live meet results available here.
Other Noteworthy day 2 results
- Gemma Cooney won the girls’ 15-year olds’ 100 free in 55.45, which improves her best time coming into the meet by 8-tenths of a second, and later doubled up by swimming 2:14.88 in the girls’ 15-year olds’ 200 fly (2:14.88).
- Minna Atherton from Brisbane Grammar won the girls’ 14-year olds’ 200 back in 2:12.52, which was just three-tenths away from Amy Forrester’s National Age Record in the event and ranks her as the second-best of all-time at that age among Australians.
- Leo Macalister had a dominant performance in the boys’ 14-year olds’ 200 backstroke, winning by more than five seconds. He swam a 2:05.70, with runner-up Tom Berryman marking 2nd in 2:10.98.
- James Traiforos held on to a nail-biter in the boys’ 17-18 100 backstroke, swimming a 55.77, just ahead of Zac Incerti (55.80).
He’s also got a very strong 100 ‘fly, I think. He split a 53-low at Aussie Trails on the Marion 4×100 Medley Relay.
Kid’s mad talented.
Chalmers won the 16yo Boys 100 ‘fly in 53.14.
Chalmers also anchored the relay from 3 secs behind a few times to bronze, with a 48.3 split
*silver not bronze, even better!