Cameron McEvoy, Emily Seebohm, Taylor McKeown Post World Leaders at Australian Championships
The penultimate finals session at the 2017 Australian Swimming Championships from Brisbane had three swimmers post world leading times. Cameron McEvoy, Emily Seebohm and Taylor McKeown posted world leading times in their respective events to pick up more events for Budapest this summer. McEvoy out-dueled young guns Kyle Chalmers and Jack Cartwright in the 100 free to win his fourth straight national title. Seebohm won the 200 back for a chance to defend her 2015 world title and will swim alongside 15-year-old Kaylee McKeown. McKeown will join her sister Taylor on the World Championship team as Taylor is the main breaststroker for Australia’s medley relay. David Morgan was the other swimmer to pick up an automatic qualifying time for Budapest in the 200 butterfly on Wednesday night in Brisbane.
Tonight’s Events:
- Women’s 200 Breast
- Women’s 200 Back
- Men’s 200 Fly
- Men’s 400 IM
- Men’s 100 Free
Women’s 200 Breast
Olympian Taylor McKeown swam the fastest time in the world this year but failed to reach the automatic qualifying time on Wednesday night in the 200 breaststroke at the 2017 Australian Swimming Championships. McKeown easily won the 200 in Brisbane at 2:23.58, just missing the 2:23.06 qualifying standard. McKeown earlier won the 100 breast, but also missed the automatic qualifying time for World Championships. Even though she missed the qualifying time, McKeown will still get to go to Budapest to be Australia’s breaststroker on the medley relay where she will be able to swim the 100 and 200 individually. She leads the world rankings in the event for this year ahead of Great Britain’s Chloe Tutton (2:23.89). She was fourth at the Olympics last year.
Tessa Wallace gave some pressure to McKeown throughout the race as she finished second in 2:25.45, way ahead of third place Jessica Hansen (2:30.62). Sarah Beale, Sofia Cicchitti, Cassandra Van Breugel, Mikayla Smith and Aisling Scott also competed in the championship final.
Event 41 Women 200 LC Metre Breaststroke ================================================================== World: 2:19.11 1/08/2013 Rikke Pedersen, Denmark Commonwealth: 2:20.12 30/07/2009Annamay Pierse, Canada Australian: R 2:20.54 1/02/2006 Leisel Jones, Commercial All Comers: A 2:20.04 6/02/2016 Rie Kaneto, Japan SALWQT: Q 2:23.06 Title Holder: 2:21.45 12/04/2016Taylor McKeown, USC Spartans Meet Qualifying: 2:41.50 Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA ================================================================== === A - Final === 1 MCKEOWN, TAYLOR 22 USC SPARTANS 2:26.73 2:23.58 909 r:+0.72 32.42 1:08.81 (36.39) 1:45.50 (36.69) 2:23.58 (38.08) 2 WALLACE, TESSA 23 PELICAN WTRS 2:32.47 2:25.45 874 r:+0.67 33.47 1:10.28 (36.81) 1:47.37 (37.09) 2:25.45 (38.08) 3 HANSEN, JESSICA 21 NUN 2:32.08 2:30.62 787 r:+0.69 33.61 1:11.32 (37.71) 1:50.51 (39.19) 2:30.62 (40.11) 4 BEALE, SARAH 16 ACACIA BAYSIDE 2:32.31 2:30.66 787 r:+0.73 33.93 1:11.77 (37.84) 1:50.43 (38.66) 2:30.66 (40.23) 5 CICCHITTI, SOFI 18 NEWMARKET 2:34.12 2:32.66 756 r:+0.67 34.54 1:13.63 (39.09) 1:52.62 (38.99) 2:32.66 (40.04) 6 VAN BREUGEL, CA 23 WOYW 2:33.89 2:33.77 740 r:+0.75 33.80 1:12.46 (38.66) 1:52.83 (40.37) 2:33.77 (40.94) 7 SMITH, MIKAYLA 18 NUN 2:32.86 2:35.09 721 r:+0.63 33.11 1:11.75 (38.64) 1:53.07 (41.32) 2:35.09 (42.02) 8 SCOTT, AISLING 24 BRISBANE GRAMMAR 2:33.22 2:36.55 701 r:+0.67 34.52 1:13.33 (38.81) 1:53.91 (40.58) 2:36.55 (42.64)
Women’s 200 Back
For the second final in a row, a world leading time was posted. Emily Seebohm won a wire to wire race in the 200 backstroke and will get a chance to defend her 2015 world title. Seebohm swam the fastest 200 back of the year with a 2:07.03 ahead of Canada’s Kylie Masse and Russia’s Daria Ustinova (2:07.23). Seebohm had already qualified for her sixth World Championship team in the 100, but this will be only the second time she will compete in the 200 at the World Championships. Seebohm will have a chance to redeem herself after not even getting into the final at the Olympics last summer.
15-year-old Kaylee McKeown will join her sister Taylor McKeown on the trip to Budapest as she placed second at 2:08.98, under the 2:09.16 automatic qualifying time. McKeown will be making her first Australian senior team as she beat out young guns Hayley Baker (2:09.26) and Sian Whittaker (2:09.60) to the wall. Defending World Junior Champion Minna Atherton was fifth in the race at 2:11.32.
Mikkayla Sheridan, Jess Unicomb and Amy Forrester also competed in the championship final.
Event 42 Women 200 LC Metre Backstroke ================================================================== World: 2:04.06 3/08/2012 Missy Franklin, USA Commonwealth: 2:05.81 8/08/2015 Emily Seebohm, Australia Australian: R 2:05.81 8/08/2015 Emily Seebohm, Brisbane Grammar All Comers: A 2:06.68 20/03/2012Belinda Hocking, Albury SALWQT: Q 2:09.16 Title Holder: 2:06.49 13/04/2016Belinda Hocking, Nunawading Meet Qualifying: 2:21.50 Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA ================================================================== === Finals === 1 SEEBOHM, EMILY 24 BRISBANE GRAMMAR 2:12.33 2:07.03Q 931 r:+0.74 30.20 1:02.83 (32.63) 1:35.85 (33.02) 2:07.03 (31.18) 2 MCKEOWN, KAYLEE 15 USC SPARTANS 2:13.76 2:08.98Q 889 r:+0.59 30.73 1:03.90 (33.17) 1:37.22 (33.32) 2:08.98 (31.76) 3 BAKER, HAYLEY 21 MVC 2:13.45 2:09.26 884 r:+0.50 30.41 1:03.15 (32.74) 1:36.51 (33.36) 2:09.26 (32.75) 4 WHITTAKER, SIAN 19 MVC 2:11.39 2:09.60 877 r:+0.60 30.50 1:03.54 (33.04) 1:37.03 (33.49) 2:09.60 (32.57) 5 ATHERTON, MINNA 16 BRISBANE GRAMMAR 2:12.28 2:11.32 843 r:+0.66 29.77 1:03.13 (33.36) 1:37.23 (34.10) 2:11.32 (34.09) 6 SHERIDAN, MIKKA 22 USC SPARTANS 2:13.88 2:12.33 823 r:+0.67 31.19 1:04.43 (33.24) 1:38.29 (33.86) 2:12.33 (34.04) 7 UNICOMB, JESSIC 19 ALL SAINTS 2:16.42 2:14.19 790 r:+0.60 31.37 1:05.15 (33.78) 1:39.58 (34.43) 2:14.19 (34.61) 8 FORRESTER, AMY 19 BOND 2:14.14 2:14.56 783 r:+0.67 31.03 1:04.37 (33.34) 1:38.91 (34.54) 2:14.56 (35.65)
Men’s 200 Butterfly
David Morgan just snuck under the qualifying time in the 200 fly to assure his spot on the plane to Budapest this summer. Morgan defended his national title in the event with a 1:55.70, just ahead of the 1:55.75 automatic standard. Morgan had a good battle with fellow Olympian from last summer in Grant Irvine who finished second at 1:56.05. Nicholas Brown was third after briefly leading at the 150 before falling apart over the last 50 at 1:58.43. This will be Morgan’s second straight trip to the World Championships after he was 16th in Kazan in 2015.
Morgan and Irvine are now fifth and sixth in the world in the 200 fly in the first official year of the post-Phelps 200 fly. Chad Le Clos (1:55.00), Tamas Kenderesi (1:55.20), Li Zhuhao (1:55.29) and Giacomo Carini (1:55.40) are ahead of Morgan and Irvine.
Dominic Richardson, Bowen Gough, Thomas Wotton, Jacob Hansford and Hamish McDougall also swam in the championship final.
Event 43 Men 200 LC Metre Butterfly ================================================================== World: 1:51.51 29/07/2009Michael Phelps, USA Commonwealth: 1:52.96 31/07/2012Chad Le Clos, South Africa Australian: R 1:54.46 17/03/2009Nick D'Arcy, Maroochydore All Comers: A 1:52.09 28/03/2007Michael Phelps, USA SALWQT: Q 1:55.75 Title Holder: 1:55.63 10/04/2016David Morgan, TSS Aquatic Meet Qualifying: 2:07.00 Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA ================================================================== === A - Final === 1 MORGAN, DAVID 23 TSS AQUATICS 1:58.33 1:55.70Q 895 r:+0.64 25.60 54.99 (29.39) 1:25.66 (30.67) 1:55.70 (30.04) 2 IRVINE, GRANT 26 STPETERSWESTERN 1:59.58 1:56.05 887 r:+0.68 26.14 55.54 (29.40) 1:26.00 (30.46) 1:56.05 (30.05) 3 BROWN, NICHOLAS 21 WSS 1:59.76 1:58.43 834 r:+0.69 26.25 55.26 (29.01) 1:25.34 (30.08) 1:58.43 (33.09) 4 RICHARDSON, DOM 19 TSS AQUATICS 2:01.28 2:00.52 792 r:+0.73 26.24 57.17 (30.93) 1:28.34 (31.17) 2:00.52 (32.18) 5 GOUGH, BOWEN 18 NUN 2:00.95 2:00.71 788 r:+0.70 26.51 56.18 (29.67) 1:27.07 (30.89) 2:00.71 (33.64) 6 WOTTON, THOMAS 19 STPETERSWESTERN 1:59.96 2:00.99 782 r:+0.65 26.76 56.90 (30.14) 1:28.41 (31.51) 2:00.99 (32.58) 7 HANSFORD, JACOB 21 SOSC 2:00.73 2:01.76 768 r:+0.66 26.66 57.21 (30.55) 1:28.91 (31.70) 2:01.76 (32.85) 8 MCDOUGALL, HAMI 20 SYP 2:01.74 2:01.87 766 r:+0.66 27.67 58.61 (30.94) 1:29.97 (31.36) 2:01.87 (31.90)
Men’s 400 IM
19-year-old Clyde Lewis swept the IM’s at the 2017 Australian Championships as he won the 400 on Wednesday night, holding off Jared Gilliland at 4:18.60 to Gilliland’s 4:18.85. Lewis had a commanding lead going into the freestyle leg as Gilliland closed in a 28.86 to Lewis’ 30.64 to almost run him down. Lewis held him off for his second win of the meet after winning the 200 IM last night. The two also beat Olympian Travis Mahoney, who was third at 4:19.10. Mahoney was seventh in Rio last summer.
Lewis was off the automatic qualifying time to Budapest that was a 4:15.47. Lewis may still be up for selection after winning both the 200 and 400 this week as well as finishing in the top six in the 200 free.
Nathan Robinson, Kazim Boskovic, Callum Sherington, Jacob Vincent and Hayden Hinds-Sydenham also competed in the A-final.
Event 46 Men 400 LC Metre IM ================================================================== World: 4:03.84 10/08/2008Michael Phelps, USA Commonwealth: 4:10.14 3/05/2013 Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Australia Australian: R 4:10.14 3/05/2013 Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Miami All Comers: A 4:06.22 1/04/2007 Michael Phelps, USA SALWQT: Q 4:15.47 Title Holder: 4:11.09 7/04/2016 Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Miami Meet Qualifying: 4:39.70 Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA ================================================================== === Finals === 1 LEWIS, CLYDE 19 STPETERSWESTERN 4:23.45 4:18.60 838 r:+0.66 26.50 57.23 (30.73) 1:29.94 (32.71) 2:02.18 (32.24) 2:39.49 (37.31) 3:17.83 (38.34) 3:47.96 (30.13) 4:18.60 (30.64) 2 GILLILAND, JARE 22 CHANDLER 4:24.69 4:18.85 835 r:+0.68 27.06 58.45 (31.39) 1:32.09 (33.64) 2:05.89 (33.80) 2:42.44 (36.55) 3:19.46 (37.02) 3:49.99 (30.53) 4:18.85 (28.86) 3 MAHONEY, TRAVIS 26 MARI 4:25.24 4:19.10 833 r:+0.70 27.28 58.73 (31.45) 1:31.01 (32.28) 2:03.47 (32.46) 2:40.58 (37.11) 3:18.52 (37.94) 3:49.27 (30.75) 4:19.10 (29.83) 4 ROBINSON, NATHA 17 STPETERSWESTERN 4:22.12 4:21.64 809 r:+0.59 27.03 58.44 (31.41) 1:31.99 (33.55) 2:04.54 (32.55) 2:42.62 (38.08) 3:21.95 (39.33) 3:52.62 (30.67) 4:21.64 (29.02) 5 BOSKOVIC, KAZIM 21 NUN 4:24.36 4:23.39 793 r:+0.65 27.51 59.21 (31.70) 1:32.76 (33.55) 2:05.59 (32.83) 2:43.18 (37.59) 3:21.66 (38.48) 3:52.95 (31.29) 4:23.39 (30.44) 6 SHERINGTON, CAL 19 CARL 4:26.70 4:24.27 785 r:+0.62 27.40 59.46 (32.06) 1:32.80 (33.34) 2:06.28 (33.48) 2:44.13 (37.85) 3:23.21 (39.08) 3:54.41 (31.20) 4:24.27 (29.86) 7 VINCENT, JACOB 18 MIAMI 4:26.58 4:24.57 782 r:+0.73 27.99 59.87 (31.88) 1:34.58 (34.71) 2:08.13 (33.55) 2:45.74 (37.61) 3:24.43 (38.69) 3:55.47 (31.04) 4:24.57 (29.10) 8 HINDS-SYDENHAM, 20 SOSC 4:28.94 4:31.93 721 r:+0.73 28.02 1:00.41 (32.39) 1:34.89 (34.48) 2:09.46 (34.57) 2:48.49 (39.03) 3:28.89 (40.40) 4:01.11 (32.22) 4:31.93 (30.82)
Men’s 100 Free
In the most hyped race of the meet between the fastest man in textile Cameron McEvoy and the defending Olympic Champion Kyle Chalmers, McEvoy came out on top with a world leading time to win his fourth straight national title in the event. McEvoy won the race with a 47.91 to Chalmers’ 48.20 to top the world rankings for 2017 ahead of Russia’s Vlad Morozov (48.54). McEvoy held off a hard charging Chalmers over the second 50, doing what he did to win the Olympic gold and is reminiscent of former Australian champion James Magnussen. Also with an impressive swim in the race was 18-year-old Jack Cartwright who finished third at 48.43 and is now the 10th fastest Australian all-time. Those three are now first, second and third on the world rankings list.
Chalmers and Cartwright are both 18-year-olds and both closed in sub-25 seconds 50’s, which is promising for the future of the men’s 4×100 free relay team for the Aussies. They placed third in Rio in the relay and have not won it internationally since they shocked the world in 2011 at the World Championships. Zac Incerti placed fourth in 49.03 and the Australian relay looks dangerous for this summer along with the next coming years as McEvoy, Chalmers and Cartwright should have many more years left on the world stage.
Alexander Graham, Louis Townsend, Jack Gerrard and Daniel Smith also competed in the A-final as Graham and Townsend are eligible for the 4×100 free relay in Budapest.
Event 47 Men 100 LC Metre Freestyle ================================================================== World: 46.91 30/07/2009Cesar Cielo, Brazil Commonwealth: 47.04 11/04/2016Cameron McEvoy, Australia Australian: R 47.04 11/04/2016Cameron McEvoy, Bond All Comers: A 47.04 11/04/2016Cameron McEvoy, Bond SALWQT: Q 48.49 Title Holder: 47.04 11/04/2016Cameron McEvoy, Bond Meet Qualifying: 52.00 Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA ================================================================== === A - Final === 1 MCEVOY, CAMERON 22 BOND 48.70 47.91Q 938 r:+0.62 22.73 47.91 (25.18) 2 CHALMERS, KYLE 18 MARI 49.14 48.20Q 921 r:+0.71 23.40 48.20 (24.80) 3 CARTWRIGHT, JAC 18 STPETERSWESTERN 48.81 48.43Q 908 r:+0.69 23.52 48.43 (24.91) 4 INCERTI, ZAC 20 WEST COAST SWIM 49.68 49.03 875 r:+0.75 23.79 49.03 (25.24) 5 GRAHAM, ALEXAND 21 BOND 49.32 49.19 867 r:+0.79 23.72 49.19 (25.47) 6 TOWNSEND, LOUIS 19 RACKLEY 49.15 49.28 862 r:+0.58 23.72 49.28 (25.56) 7 GERRARD, JACK 22 MVC 49.74 49.58 846 r:+0.72 23.96 49.58 (25.62) 8 SMITH, DANIEL 25 STPETERSWESTERN 49.53 49.77 837 r:+0.71 23.98 49.77 (25.79)