Australian Champs, Day 3 Finals: Cam McEvoy Unleashes A Daddy Of A Time To Win the Men’s 50m Freestyle Title in 21.48
Paris Olympic champion and now expectant father Cam McEvoy has certainly turned on a “daddy of a swim” to clock his fastest ever “in season” 50m freestyle time of 21.48 on night three of the Australian Open Championships and as he prepares to embrace another exciting phase of his life.
McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) who has only been back in the water for just three weeks, exploded off the blocks and had almost a body length lead after 25 metres, before charging to the wall in a powerhouse display of freestyle sprinting – doing it like Cam McEvoy does – flat chat!
Cam McEvoy Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
With the Paris gold medallist preparing for a busy few months, announcing he and wife Madeline are expecting a baby boy in 12 weeks; as McEvoy himself prepares for the World Championship Trials in Adelaide in six weeks and the World Championships in Singapore just after the birth of his son.
So happy was McEvoy that you couldn’t wipe the smile off his face for all the reasons, as he kept turning his head towards the Brisbane Aquatic Centre scoreboard to double check the time and to locate his family in the grandstand off a pool where he has raced so many times in his stellar career.
“My previous best in season was 21.8 so that time shreds it; I have only been swimming for three weeks and four weeks in total. So it’s pretty special and to know Maddy is up there to,” said McEvoy, who admitted after winning the 50m butterfly on night one that he would have to “find his arms” for his pet event.
He found his arms alright, and they did the job with McEvoy’s time the second fastest in the world this year behind rising Russian star Egor Kornev who won his National title in 21.43.
Second home tonight was emerging Queensland sprint star and world ranked number six, Jamie Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) in 21.95 with Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans, QLD) third in 22.07.
In other events, Olympic backstroking golden girl and world record holder Kaylee McKeown was again sublime in adding the 50m backstroke to her 100m win, clocking 27.22 ahead of Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 27.51 and Amber George (NZ) 28.25.
Ben Goedemans Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
While 20-year-old merging distance star Benjamin Goedemans (St Peters Western, QLD has continued Queensland’s proud history in distance swimming at the National Championships over the past two days – adding the 800m to his 1500m sub 15 minutes swim on night two.
Goedemans pulling out the swim of his life not only win the Australian title in the coveted 1500m – but clocking a time of 14:57.75 – under the magical 15 minute barrier for the first time, a major milestone for any budding 1500m swimmer– particularly in Australia and particularly in Queensland where the likes of Kieren Perkins, Glenn Housman, Daniel Kowalski and Grant Hackett have all won the Australian titles and all swum under 15 minutes.
And to top off a special meet for Goedemans, adding the 800m tonight in another personal best time of 7:52.52
The women’s 200m breaststroke saw 400IM winner from night two, Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre) swim away with her second title clocking 2:24.70 from Paris Olympian and 200IM and 100m breaststroke winner Ella Ramsay (Griffith University, QLD) 2:25.34 with Sienna Harben (Bond, QLD) 2:29.61 -third, winding up another successful meet for all three girls as they prepare to meet again in the World Championships Trials in Adelaide in June.
Thomas Ceccon Wins 100m Butterfly
Visiting Italian Olympic 100m backstroke champion, Thomas Ceccon, who has been training with Dean Boxall’s St Peters Western group for four months, touched out two-time Olympic finalist and Australian record holder Matt Temple (Marion, SA) in the 100m butterfly.
Ceccon, who finished second in the 200m freestyle last night clocked 51.26 from an outside lane with Temple second in 51.51 and Harrison Turner (Nudgee College, QLDO) third home in 52.30.
Lani Pallister (St Peters Western, QLD) was never headed as she led from start to finish to add the 400m freestyle to her 800m from night one -clocking a tidy 4:02.34 to keep reigning world champion Erika Fairweather (NZ) 4:04.55 and Jamie Perkins (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:06.29 at bay.
Will Petric (L) and Lewis Clareburt. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
The men’s 200m individual medley saw New Zealand’s dual Olympian Lewis Clareburt clinch a real Trans-Tasman thriller against Aussie boys, Paris Olympian Will Petric (St Peters Western, QLD) and World Short Course finalist David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC).
Clareburt touching in 1:59.05, from Petric 1:59.40 and Schlicht 2:00.43.
While emerging backstroker, Enoch Robb, (Griffith University, QLD) powered home off the turn to win the 100m backstroke in 54.85 from Paris Olympian Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) 55.21 and Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 55.27.
Enoch Robb Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).