West Australian Blair Evans has swam a new Australian record for the 400m freestyle at the FINA World Cup in Beijing, setting the Water Cube alight with the second fastest time in the world this year, as the Aussies head to Tokyo with a total of 11 gold medals from China.

The 20-year-old, who had already picked up three gold medals at the world cup series so far, led from start to finish in the 400m free, taking 0.08 seconds off Kylie Palmer’s old Australian record set in Dubai last year, hitting the wall in 3:58.31.

Palmer came in second in 4:03.04, while Evans, who now has double gold in the 200 and 400m free, says the results have given her great confidence for next year.

“I have worked really hard with my coach Matt Magee this year and I’m still in hard training so to get my first Australian record is just amazing. I’m really looking forward to next year,” said Evans.

“That was my fourth gold of the world cup and I felt good all day, so I’m just happy I executed it well for gold tonight.”

Showing experience well beyond her 17 years, Emma McKeon secured the 50 and 100m freestyle double in style on the final night of competition, with an impressive come-from-behind victory over fellow Australian Cate Campbell.
McKeon’s third gold medal of the world cup series was probably her best with the Wollongong schoolgirl, who is not going on to swim in Tokyo at the weekend,  thoroughly enjoying her strong finish to 2011.

“You always love racing the Aussie girls and Cate swam really well tonight and went out really hard, but I was able to hold it together though and just won in the end,” said McKeon.

“The two 100m freestyle wins have given me a lot of self-confidence and race confidence leading into the Olympic Trials in March next year.”

“The constant racing at the world cup has allowed me to work on my race technique which you just can’t get in training.”

With Olympic bronze medallist Campbell leading at every turn of the 100m free final, only to fade over the last 15m, McKeon finished the stronger of the two, hitting the wall in 53.09 with Campbell just 0.04 behind in 53.13.

Comeback queen Libby Trickett finished fifth in 53.96, her first time under 54 seconds on the world cup series while China’s Tang Yi took bronze in 53.28 with Kylie Palmer sixth in 54.78.

Gold Coast QAS athlete Leiston Pickett won Australia’s second gold of the night taking out the 50m breaststroke final in 30.23 with Olivia Halicek picking up bronze in 30.98. 

“I really wanted to go sub 30 seconds tonight but just missed out. I’m still happy with the win though,” said Pickett.

“I guess it gives me a goal and something to work on for Tokyo.”

The men’s 100m breaststroke final saw Christian Sprenger add to his gold from Singapore in a time of 57.99, with Brenton Rickard picking up another bronze in 58.21.

Queensland sprinter Kyle Richardson also won his second gold of the meet, securing the sprint double winning the men’s 50m free in 21.75.

The men’s 200m freestyle saw South African Chad Le Clos climb to the top of the podium again with a strong performance in 1:43.62 with Richardson picking up bronze in 1:45.21. Bobby Hurley from SOPAC Swim club was seventh in 1:47.04.

Ellen Fullerton won bronze in the 400m IM in 4:33.19 with China’s Zhou Min taking the gold in 4:30.66, while Bobby Hurley finished sixth in the 50m backstroke in 25.41.

Melbourne Vicentre swimmer Rachel Goh had to settle for another silver medal in Beijing missing out in the 100m backstroke by just 0.22 of a second. Goh finished in 57.40 with Gao Chang from China taking the win in 57.22. Grace Loh was fifth in 57.97.

Le Clos was back in the water and back on top of the podium in the men’s 100m butterfly in a time of 50.93 with Australia’s Chris Wright picking up silver in 51.07.  Sam Ashby (51.61) and Andrew Lauterstein (51.78) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The women’s 200m fly saw Jessicah Schipper win bronze in 2:05.89 while Travis Nederpelt finished  fifth in the men’s 200m IM in 1:57.77. Olivia Halicek also picked up bronze in the 100m IM in 1:01.01 while Ellen Fullerton finished seventh in 1:03.28.

The final event of the night, the women’s 50m butterfly, saw McKeon, Schipper and Halicek finish fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

An Australian Swim Team of 17 will now head to Tokyo for the final leg of the FINA World Cup series, 12-13 November.

Swimming Australia