Australian Trials, Day 3, Prelims: Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister and Jamie Perkins Headline Women’s 200m Freestyle Final
Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan is the headline act in tonight’s 200m freestyle final at the Australian Trials in Adelaide with the top three qualifiers all from Dean Boxall’s St Peters Western middle distance super squad.
O’Callaghan cruised through this morning’s heats, clocking 1:56.67, the second fastest time of the day behind fastest qualifier, 400m freestyle winner here Lani Pallister, who took it out from the start of heat two, touching in 1:56.08.
With Jamie Perkins, second to Pallister in the 400 in a QT for Singapore, taking out the third seeded heat in 1:56.80.
O’Callaghan and Pallister both swam the final in Australia’s gold medal-winning 4x200m freestyle in Paris, with the now retired Brianna Throssell and world record holder Ariarne Titmus, who is on a break and is in a commentary role in Adelaide.
The three Olympians will be joined by a host of new faces with their sights set on filling the available places on offer in what will be a new look Australian relay group.
The next five qualifiers from today’s heats were also all under the Swimming Australia QT for Singapore of 1:58.23: Hannah Casey (Bond, QLD) 1:57.05; Abbey Webb (Cruiz, ACT) 1:57.13; Inez Miller (Fenix, WA) 1:57.652, Amelia Weber (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:57.89 and Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 1:58.16.
Headlining the men’s events will be another Olympic champion in Cam McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD), who is the fastest qualifier into the 50m freestyle final in 21.76, followed by Isaac Cooper (St Andrews, QLD) 21.86, Jamie Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 21.88 and Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 22.07.
Last night’s 100m breaststroke winner Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) has returned today in the heats of the 50m breaststroke, qualifying fourth into the final in 31.40 behind Mia O’Leary (Griffith University, QLD) 31.26, last night’s third placegetter in the 100m, Sienna Harben (Griffith University, QLD) 31.29 and Lily Koch (Nunawading, VIC) 31.30.
In other events, Harrison Turner (Nudgee College, QLD) is the fastest qualifier inti the men’s 200m butterfly in 1:57.22; Grayson Bell (Somerville House, QLD) has top billing going into he 50m breaststroke on 27.55;