SWIMMING: Sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell completed their own family fairytale by finishing first and second in the women’s 100m freestyle final at the 2013 National Swimming Championships in Adelaide.

The result qualified the close-knit sisters for individual swims in the event at the world championships later this year, but also ensured they would swim their first relay together for Australia at a major international meet.

Cate, an Olympic gold medallist in the women’s 4x100m relay, had swum the quickest time ever in Australia last night in the semi-final, and once again showed her growing class to produce a start-to-finish victory, touching in 52.92.

Sister Bronte (53.85) held off a flurry of challenges for the second individual berth for the world championships in July, cementing second spot by going under the 54-second barrier on consecutive nights.

Just 0.2 of a second separated the next four swimmers, with five-time Olympic medallist Alicia Coutts (54.09), 18-year-old Emma McKeon (54.17) and 2012 London relay gold medallists Brittany Elmslie (54.20) and Melanie Schlanger (54.29) all qualifying for the women’s 4x100m relay team.

“I’m on the team to Spain and I have my sister in the seat next to me,” Cate said. “That is absolutely the best scenario. I was just hoping to possibly have her on the relay team with me, but to have her as an individual swimmer with me is just beyond my wildest dreams.

“I’m thrilled. I can’t believe that everything has come together and I can’t wait to see what another 12 weeks of training brings out.”

Bronte, who missed the final by just 0.05 of a second at last year’s national titles, said that disappointment had spurred her on in 2013.

“I was really surprised with my time in the semi and was really excited to go under 54, which was like a 0.9 PB,” Bronte said. “I just wanted to replicate what I did last night and I pretty much did that.”

London Olympian Matson Lawson won his first national title, coming from third at the final turn to overhaul defending champion Mitch Larkin and dual national title winner in the event Ashley Delaney.

Lawson’s electric final 50 metres saw him touch in a time of 1:56.59 to make his first world championships team. The 20-year-old Victorian will be joined in Spain by London team mate Larkin (1:56.79), while Delaney’s time of 1:57.58 would have seen him qualify if he had placed in the top-two. 

Dual Olympian Sally Foster won her second national title of the week with a dominant performance in the women’s 200m breaststroke. The three-time world championship medallist flew off the blocks to establish a 2.5 second gap at the halfway mark, before touching in a time of 2:23.94 to qualify for her fourth long course world championships.

The 28-year-old led home talented teenagers Jenna Strauch (2:26.47) and Taylor McKeown 2:28.24, with 16-year-old Strauch finishing less than a second off the world championship selection time.

In other Olympic events…

Men’s 200m Breaststroke Final
Buster Sykes stormed to his first national title, winning the men’s 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:13.25. The 19-year-old Queenslander was over two seconds down through the second turn but came home with a wet sail, despite missing the required selection time. Twenty-one year olds Jeremy Meyer (2:13.78) and Nicholas Schafer (2:14.45) filled the other two places on the podium.

Women’s 200m Backstroke Semi Final
Australian record holder Belinda Hocking will be tough to beat in the final of the women’s 200m backstroke on Thursday night after taking the top time of 2:08.58 in the semi-finals to qualify almost two seconds clear of her closest rival, Olympic finalist Meagen Nay (2:10.06). With four national titles to her name from this event already, Hocking will be looking for her fifth Australian Championship crown but will need to hold off Nay and the fast finishing Emily Seebohm (2:10.83).

Men’s 50m Freestyle Semi Final
The fastest men in the country will fight for first place in the final of the men’s 50m freestyle and with less than a second separating the field, the title is anyone’s for the taking.

Sprint specialist Matthew Targett secured lane four with a time 21.92 with brothers Matthew (21.98) and Andrew Abood (22.04) rounding out the top three qualifiers. Defending champion James Magnussen (22.06) will be looking to move up the ranks tomorrow night after qualifying fourth fastest from the semis. 

Men’s 100m Butterfly Semi Final
London Olympian Christopher Wright is on track to successfully defend his 100m butterfly title and book his seat on the plane to Barcelona after clocking a speedy 51.77 to take top spot from the semi-finals. Wright’s Olympic teammate Tommaso D’Orsogna (52.52) snuck into second place just 0.22 ahead of Kenneth To who rounds out the top three in a time of 52.74.

Athletes who have qualified for selection for the 2013 FINA World Championships:

MEN
Men’s 100m Freestyle – James Magnussen (47.53), Cameron McEvoy (48.07)
Men’s 200m Freestyle – Thomas Fraser-Holmes (1:45.79), Cameron McEvoy (1:46.03)
Men’s 400m Freestyle – David McKeon (3:43.71), Jordan Harrison (3:45.85)
Men’s 100m Backstroke – Ashley Delaney (53.63)
Men’s 200m Backstroke – Matson Lawson (1:56.59), Mitch Larkin (1:56.79)
Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Christian Sprenger (59.31), Brenton Rickard (1:00.00)
Men’s 200m Butterfly – Grant Irvine (1:55.32)
Men’s 200m Individual Medley – Daniel Tranter (1:57.55), Kenneth To (1:58.72)
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – James Magnussen (47.53), Cameron McEvoy (48.07), James Roberts (48.37), Matt Targett (48.58), Tommaso D’Orsogna (48.86), Matthew Abood (49.12)
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay - Thomas Fraser-Holmes (1:45.79), Cameron McEvoy (1:46.03), David McKeon (1:46.96), Ned McKendry (1:47.14), Alexander Graham (1:47.23), Jarrod Killey (1:47.25) 

WOMEN
Women’s 100m Freestyle – Cate Campbell (52.92), Bronte Campbell (53.85)
Women’s 200m Freestyle – Bronte Barratt (1:56.05), Kylie Palmer (1:56.66)
Women’s 400m Freestyle – Bronte Barratt (4:03.52), Kylie Palmer (4:06.00)
Women’s 100m Backstroke – Emily Seebohm (59.17), Belinda Hocking (59.63)
Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Sally Foster (1:07.46), Samantha Marshall (1:07.49)
Women’s 200m Breaststroke – Sally Foster (2:23.94)
Women’s 100m Butterfly – Alicia Coutts (57.18)
Women’s 200m Individual Medley – Alicia Coutts (2:08.63), Emily Seebohm (2:11.11)
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Cate Campbell (52.92), Bronte Campbell (53.85), Alicia Coutts (54.09), Emma McKeon (54.17), Brittany Elmslie (54.17), Melanie Schlanger (54.29)
Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Bronte Barratt (1:56.05), Kylie Palmer (1:56.66), Emma McKeon (1:56.77), Brittany Elmslie (1:57.15), Melanie Schlanger (1:58.07), Blair Evans (1:58.66)

Competition concludes on Friday with a staging camp for the World Championship Team being held in Canberra from Saturday.

Swimming Australia