Tonight shapes as the busiest night of the Youth Olympic Games for Australia’s swim team, with six finals taking place featuring men and women in green and gold.
Tonight shapes as the busiest night of the Youth Olympic Games for Australia’s swim team, with six finals taking place featuring men and women in green and gold.
Coach Ron McKeon said it had been a very positive morning and was expecting big things to come from the evening session.
“It will be very busy tonight – we are expecting our swimmers to really live up to what they are capable of and swim well,” McKeon said.
“Kenny [To] is up first and it will be a big challenge for him but he is certainly ready to go.”
To is the second fastest qualifier in the 50m freestyle and will be looking to add gold to his collection of two silver medals. His main rival is Ukrainian Andrill Govorov who has been in red-hot form during qualification. The men’s 50m freestyle will start at 6.30pm (local time).
Having qualified fastest by more than two seconds for the final of the 200m breast stroke tonight, Nicholas Schafer is aiming for the 100m-200m double. Schafer swam a very quick heat of 2.14.64 and will hit the water tonight at 6.42pm.
“Nick looked really comfortable this morning,” McKeon said.
“He controlled the race from the outset and won by close to three seconds so he looks set for a big night.”
Australia’s next finalist is Max Ackermann who will race in the 50m backstroke at 7pm. Ackermann will start in lane 7 and has looked capable throughout qualification.
Straight after Ackermann’s swim, Emily Selig will be in the water fighting for gold in the women’s 100m breast stroke at 7.04pm. Selig has looked calm and collected throughout qualification. Her main rival for the gold is Canadian Rachel Nichol – the only swimmer to have produced a quicker time in Singapore.
After a strong swim in her heat this morning, Emma McKeon will again contest for gold in the 200m freestyle. McKeon will swim from lane 7 having flown through the heat in a time of 2.03.78. Should she claim a spot on the dais, McKeon will have won her fourth medal of the games, with two days of competition to go. The women’s 200m freestyle final starts at 7.30pm.
Rounding out the evening will be the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay final at 7.53pm. The Australian team qualified fastest after its heat this morning. Ackermann, To, Schafer and Justin James want to get one better than their teammates silver.
“Emma swam a good race this morning – like Max she will be starting from lane seven and I think we will see a very controlled swim from her tonight,” he said.
Elliot Woods
AOC
