APRIL 2017
2017 Hancock Prospecting Australian
Swimming Championships
The 2017 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships are
underway, starting on the 9th April at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, as
Australia’s greatest swimmers compete for their place on the World
Championship teams heading to Hungary and Mexico.
The team will be announced poolside on the final night of competition on the
evening of Thursday April 13th.
Already off to an amazing start, some of Australia’s biggest names in
swimming: Cate and Bronte Campbell, Mack Horton, Mitch Larkin and Cam
McEvoy opened the competition with some of the fastest times in the world.
The first night also saw breakthrough performances from two rising stars,
Ariarne Titmus and Shayna Jack, who will join the Dolphins in Hungary.
Mrs. Rinehart, Hancock Prospecting and the Georgina Hope Foundation are
proud to support these outstanding, hardworking role models and the whole
dedicated Australian swim team as they represent our country, and wish all
competing at the 2017 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming
Championships all the very best for the remainder of the meet.
ENDS
APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017
Cate Campbell makes world sit up and take notice – again
Hanson Media Group
Two rising stars unearthed on sizzling opening night in Brisbane
Hanson Media Group
Cate Campbell makes world sit up and take notice – again
9 April 2017
Hanson Media Group
Swimming Australia: April 9, 2017: The world has taken another collective sigh of relief
after Cate Campbell clocked the fastest time in the world this year in the 100m freestyle heats
on the opening day of the Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships in
Brisbane.
And with a stunning support act, the fastest man in the world Cam McEvoy (Bond
Swimming) chimed in with an eye-catching 21.73 – the fastest 50m freestyle time for 2017, a
result of no semi-finals in the condensed five-day Championship meet.
Campbell (Commercial) showed she is very much back in the fast lane post Olympics,
clocking 52.78 to head an all-star cast of Australia’s Olympic sprint golden girls into
tonight’s final – in the same lane and pool she set her world record in last year.
Emma McKeon (St Peters Western) looked very impressive, winning her heat in 53.26, with
Campbell’s world champion sister Bronte winning hers in 53.54 with their 18-year-old
training partner Shayna Jack putting her hand up with a personal best of 53.60, to finish
second to Cate Campbell in the final heat.
Cate Campbell is standing by her decision not to attend this year’s FINA World
Championships which will allow one of own her team mates an opportunity to race in the
blue ribband event and the rest of the world to chase the world title also.
The 25-year-old, who likens the break she is taking from the Australian team as “a long
service holiday” admitted she was “a bit nervous” as she stood smiling behind the blocks.
“Even though I’ve got nothing riding on this, I was still nervous. But you know it’s exciting,
I’m trying to channel those nerves into a happy place, so I thought ‘smile, you know what
they say – smile and the whole world smiles with you’ that was my motto for the blocks this
morning and I’m really pleased with that,” Campbell said.
It was the best of Campbell both in and out of the pool, setting the scene for what will be an
exciting opening night of finals at an equally exciting week at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
Sister Bronte, who has battled shoulder problems for the past two years, also looked solid as
did McKeon, the bronze medallist over 200m at last year’s Olympics.
But one of the most eye-catching swims of the morning did come from Jack, who has
emerged as another Simon Cusack success story, clocking under 54 seconds for the first time.
And a glowing report from Campbell for Jack and coach Cusack as well.
“Being beaten by an 18-year-old in training isn’t the best of times and to be honest she is
more of a motivator than Bronte, because I’m used to being beaten by Bronte,” Campbell
said.
“But an 18-year-old? My ego just can’t quite take it so she is probably responsible for me
turning up to training more than anything else.
“It just once again proves just what a great coach Simon is. He has taken people of all shapes
and sizes from all different walks of life and he turns them into champions.
“And that is exactly what he has done with Shayna and watching her grow and blossom and
change has been really rewarding.
“I’m obviously proud of her but I’m proud of him as well and I’m proud of his achievements
and what he has been able to do with her, it proves once again why I work with Simon;
because he is the best in the world.”
Places on Australia’s premier women’s relay will also be on the line for Bronte Campbell,
McKeon, Jack and an Olympic quartet taking up the other four lanes in what will be the
major highlight of the opening night’s finals – the top four will be joined by St Peters
Western’s Madison Wilson (54.29); Melbourne Vicentre’s Koti Ngawati (54.44) and
Brisbane Grammar pair Emily Seebohm (54.59) and two-time Olympic relay gold medallist
and World Short Course champion Brittany Elmslie (54.64).
Olympic silver medallist Mitch Larkin, also now with Cusack, after his switch from Michael
Bohl, looked comfortable in taking the fifth of five heats in the 200m backstroke getting into
his groove with the fastest qualifying time of 1:58.06.
He is followed by his two former training partners at St Peters Western, Jack Cartwright
(1:58.90) and Clyde Lewis (1:59.91) with Larkin’s Rio teammate, Nunawading’s Josh Beaver
(1:59.01) next.
“It was just about grooving this morning and finding my stroke as comfortable as possible,”
said Larkin.
“I knew if I could swim about a 1:58 I should be pretty good, so pretty happy with that this
morning.
“It’s been very different. A lot more speed focussed and a lot less volume. I stopped gym
about three weeks ago and my muscles have held up pretty well.
“But it’s great my legs have freshened up and we’ll see what happens tonight!
“Usually the 200 is towards the end, so I think this gives me a good chance to get a good 200
out and then the 100 is next which is fantastic!”
In other events Rio relay bronze medallist David Morgan (TSS Aquatic) heads the qualifiers
in the men’s 100m butterfly, winning his heat in 52.69.
McEvoy will be joined by fellow Olympic relay bronze medallist James Roberts (Somerset)
22.38 and Bond team mates Alexander Graham (22.52) and Brayden McCarthy who survived
a swim off with Cameron Jones (St Peters Western) to clock 22.79 to crack the top eight.
Olympic champion Mack Horton (Melbourne Vicentre) 3:49.52 was the second fastest
qualifier for the 400m freestyle alongside Rio team mates David McKeon (St Peters Western)
the quickest in 3:49.23 and Jack McLoughlin (Chandler) 3:49.79 while World Short Course
representative Jessica Hansen (Nunawading) heads the qualifiers in the 50m breaststroke
after a stunning personal best of 31.19 – just outside the Australian All-Time Top 10.
And Australia’s Rio Paralympic heroes will also be in action tonight with Rachael Watson
(Chandler) 1:27.30, Maddie Elliott (NU Swim) 1:06.03, Lakeisha Patterson (Lawnton)
1:06.20, Ellie Cole (Unattached) 1:03.99, Monique Murphy (Southport) 1:03.58 all lining up
in the 100m freestyle Multi-Class 100m freestyle final.
In the men’s 100m freestyle Multi Class Rio winner Daniel Fox (USC Spartans) 53.58, Jack
Ireland (UQ Swim Club) 54.31 and Paralympic gold medallist Timothy Disken (PLC
Aquatic) 55.65 posted the fastest three times.
The 100m breaststroke will see another Rio golden girl Tiffany Thomas-Kane (Ravenswood)
1:40.23 in action while Grant Patterson (Central Cairns) 2:18.37 and Ahmed Kelly
(Melbourne Vicentre) 1:55.40.
Two rising stars unearthed on sizzling opening night in Brisbane
9 April 2017
Hanson Media Group
Swimming Australia: April 9, 2017: Swimming has unearthed two new rising stars on the
opening night of a sizzling Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships at the
Brisbane Aquatic Centre tonight.
The sport’s biggest names Cate and Bronte Campbell, Mack Horton, Cam McEvoy and
Mitch Larkin all lived up to expectations and delivered with some of the fastest times in the
world.
Defending world champion Bronte Campbell powered over the top of sister Cate and Emma
McKeon to win the 100m freestyle; Olympic champion Mack Horton finished too strong to
take out the 400m; the world’s fastest swimmer Cam McEvoy looked super impressive to win
the 50m freestyle and Larkin hung on grimly to win his fourth Australian 200m backstroke
title.
But the breakthrough performances of Queensland teenagers Ariarne Titmus (St Peters
Western) and Shayna Jack (Commercial) will provide two fresh faces on the Dolphins team
for this year’s FINA World Championships in Hungary.
Titmus, just 16, clocked a 14 second personal best time to win the 800m freestyle and Jack –
the latest prodigy out of the Simon Cusack sprint freestyle school, clocked two personal best
times in one day to finish fourth in the 100m freestyle with a 53.40 – the sixth fastest time by
an Australian
Titmus, who moved to Brisbane from Tasmania with her family to further her swimming
career two years ago, improved her time of 8:37.50 to clock 8:23.08 (59.83; 2:02.23; 4:08.95)
– the fifth fastest time ever by an Australian – swimming past a who’s who of Olympians,
Olympic champions and world champions, including Sheridan Burge-Lopez, Michelle Ford,
Blair Evans, Tracey Wickham and Janelle Elford.
Spurred on by vocal St Peters Western coach Dean Boxall, who did his best “Laurie
Lawrence impersonation” urging his young charge on – Titmus took off from the opening lap
against Australian record holder and dual Olympian Jess Ashwood but was never headed.
She showed the true grit of a distance swimmer to hang on and defeat Australia’s fastest ever
800m freestyler, with Ashwood clocking 8:25.61 with World Short Course bronze medallist
Kiah Melverton (TSS Aquatic) third in 8:34.76.
Both Titmus and Ashwood swam under the World Championship qualifying time of 8:26.96.
“That was a 14 second PB! I don’t really know how I did that. I haven’t swum an 800 long
course since August last year so I knew I probably had a big drop in me but definitely didn’t
think that was possible,” Titmus said.
“I didn’t really know the qualifying time to make it on the team in the 800 but then I was
like, oh I think that’s under so I was pretty happy.
“The 400 which is on the last day, I thought that would be my best shot at making the team.
But to come out and do that in the 800, I’m pretty surprised.”
She was quick to praise coach Boxall.
“I heard him yelling out sometimes, but I knew he would be going ballistic and then at the
end I saw him and it was really nice,” Titmus said.
“I’ve been with Dean for about a year and everything has been going really well.”
In the men’s 50m freestyle final, McEvoy clocked the second fastest time of his career,
stopping the clock in a sizzling 21.55 to defend his title and the first step towards a successful
defence of his triple crown (50, 100, 200m freestyle) he won at last year’s Australian
Championships.
He defeated fellow Olympic relay bronze medallist James Roberts (Somerset) 21.91 with
Will Stockwell (Commercial) taking is first National podium in 22.33 with McEvoy and
Roberts both under the qualifying time.
Their clash with Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers in the 100m here on Wednesday will be
another major highlight after Chalmers clocked a comfortable 48.22secs anchor leg for the
Marion Swim Club’s winning 4x 100m freestyle relay team.
Although McEvoy and Chalmers will contest the 200m freestyle heats on Day Two.
It was Bronte Campbell, who has finally found some solutions to what has been a frustrating
two years of shoulder pain, who powered home to win her first National 100m freestyle title
ahead of Emma McKeon (St Peters Western) 53.12 and sister Cate (Commercial) 53.30, who
had swum a cracking 52.78 in the morning.
Bronte will get the chance to defend the world crown she won in Kazan in 2015 while
McKeon gets her first chance to swim the 100m at a World Championship meet.
“It was nice to put a fast time on the board again, I’m really, really happy with that,” Bronte
said.
“I’m in a really good headspace and if I can keep managing the shoulder the way it’s been
managed. It’s positive the way I’ve been managing it.
“If my body would keep working I could keep doing this forever, I love doing it! As long as I
am injury free I can keep swimming to 2020 and it’s looking like it’s manageable at the
moment so it’s definitely something that’s on my radar again.”
With Cate unavailable it puts her training partner Shayna Jack onto her first Australian team
in the glamour 4x100m freestyle relay after her second personal best in one day, a 53.40 to
finish fourth.
Jack has now swum past the likes of 2004 Olympic champion Jodie Henry, Brittany Elmslie,
Alicia Coutts, Emily Seebohm and Alice Mills and you could not wipe the smile off her face.
“This has definitely been the best day of my swimming life, I can’t believe it and to make the
relay team with all these girls, is a dream,” Jack said.
Backstroker Madi Wilson, a relay heat swimmer in Rio, was a solid fifth in 54.33.
Horton (Melbourne Vicentre) 3:44.18 (54.28; 1:51.45) admitted he was relieved to “get that
one in the bag” after winning the 400m freestyle in 3:44.18 from Rio teammates David
McKeon (St Peters Western) 3:46.90 and Jack McLoughlin (Chandler) 3:46.96 – all three
under the World Championship standard.
In the men’s 200m backstroke Olympic silver medallist Mitch Larkin continued his
domination, adding his ninth Australian backstroke title since 2014, clocking 1:56.66 ahead
of Rio team mate Josh Beaver (Nunawading) 1:56.95 with Clyde Lewis (St Peters Western)
third in 1:58.83.
Both Larkin and Beaver ticked the selection box, going under the qualifying time of 1:57.12
after Larkin opened up a commanding lead through the 100m (56.61) turn it was Beaver who
popped the question down the final lap, coming home in 29.77 to Larkin’s 30.07.
Both boys have new coaches, with Larkin switching from Michael Bohl to Simon Cusack and
Beaver now under new Nunawading head coach, Scott Talbot – son of legendary coach Don
Talbot and current Paralympic coach Jan Cameron.
It will certainly give the Dolphins a strong two-pronged attack heading towards Hungary in
July for the FINA World Championships.
In the men’s 100m butterfly final, Olympian David Morgan (TSS Aquatic) defended his
crown, winning in 51.81 from his Rio team mate Grant Irvine (St Peters Western) 52.08 and
Brayden McCarthy (Bond Swimming) 52.43.
Morgan was just 0.30 outside the World’s qualifying time
The women’s 50m breaststroke went to Jenna Strauch (32.11), from, Chelsea Hodges
(Southport Olympic) 32.51.
In the Multi-Class events 15-year-old Rio Paralympic gold medallist Tiffany Thomas-Kane
(Ravenswood) continued her domination, taking out the 100m breaststroke Multi-Class final
in 1:347.92 from Madeleine Scott (Nunawading) 1:18.87 with Rio Olympian Paige
Leonhardt (East Brisbane) third in 1:21.07.
The men’s event saw another of our Rio heroes Ahmed Kelly defend his Multi Class 100m
breaststroke championship, clocking 1:52.02 in the 100m breaststroke with his good friend
Grant “Scooter” Patterson (Central Cairns) taking silver in 2:18.09 and Rio silver medallist
Blake Cochrane (USC Spartans) third in 1:18.26.
In the women’s Multi-Class 100m freestyle it was the battle of the Rio golden girls with
400m freestyle winner Lakeisha Patterson (Lawnton) taking the gold (1:05.67) from 50m
freestyle winner Rachael Watson (Chandler) 1:28.69 with triple gold medallist Maddison
Elliot (NU Swim) third in 1:06.29.
The men’s event went to Rio 200m freestyle bronze medallist Daniel Fox (USC Spartans)
54.03 from Jack Ireland (UQ Swim Club) 54.54 with Joshua Alford (Tuggernong Vikings)
55.33 third.