Three-time Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones has made history as the first Australian swimmer to qualify for four Olympic Games after finishing second in the women's 100m breaststroke behind protégé Leiston Pickett.
Three-time Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones has made history as the first Australian swimmer to qualify for four Olympic Games after finishing second in the women’s 100m breaststroke behind protégé Leiston Pickett.
The world record holder made her first Australian team 12 years ago, at just 14, and soon after became Australia’s youngest ever Olympic swimming medallist winning silver in the 100m breaststroke and 4x100m medley relay in Sydney in 2000.
The 26-year-old Jones will now get the opportunity to defend her 2008 Olympic title in the 100m in London after a 1:07.64 at the 2012 Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide tonight, and will face stiff competition in American Rebecca Soni and fellow Aussie Pickett.
"I'm so excited. I did put a lot of pressure on myself but I've done that job tonight and I'm pretty stoked with that," Jones said.
"... I didn't think I'd ever make it to four Olympics - that's just an absolute dream. I've realised that now so I'm looking forward to enjoying London.
“I’ll be able to relax more at these Olympics and I’m confident I can go faster and really chase Soni down in London."
But it was a case of the apprentice beating the master as Pickett, the Delhi Commonwealth Games 50m breaststroke champion, stopped the clock in 1:06.88, setting a new personal best nearly two seconds under the Olympic A-qualifying time. Touching in third place and just missing selection was Jones’ former training partner Sarah Katsoulis in 1:08.11.
Novocastrian Thomas Fraser-Holmes’ star continues to rise after backing up his 400m IM title to take out the men’s 200m freestyle final in a personal best time of 1:46.88. The win makes it consecutive 200m titles for the 20-year-old, who managed to hold off a fast-finishing Kenrick Monk (1:47.16).
The pair led a flurry of A-qualifying swimmers to the wall, with the top six – also including David McKeon (1:47.55), Ned McKendry (1:47.61), Ryan Napoleon (1:47.66) and Cameron McEvoy (1:47.79) – not only swimming under the Olympic selection time but also earning themselves consideration for the 4x200m freestyle relay in London.
“To come over here and swim two personal best times and get my good mates in the relay is awesome as well – that’s what you swim for and I’m just so excited for everybody,” Fraser-Holmes said.
“[Winning the final on Thursday night], it’s like push starting a car – once you start pushing it gets faster and faster. I think that’s what’s happened with my swims and hopefully the board keeps getting faster and faster as I go along in the meet.”
Queenslander Emily Seebohm reclaimed the women’s 100m backstroke national title and booked herself a place on her second Olympic team after a dominant swim in women’s 100m backstroke final.
The 19-year-old Seebohm led from the blocks with 2011 title holder Belinda Hocking pushing her all the way to the wall. After breaking away from the field Seebohm and Hocking comfortably secured Olympic selection and battled for bragging rights with 15m to go. Third place went to Australian swim team veteran Sophie Edington in 1:00.65.
The script could not have been better written for Hayden Stoeckel (53.98) in the 100m backstroke, who took out the event in front of a vocal home crowd to earn a place on his second Olympic team.
The Beijing silver medallist was not only forced to contend with a goggle malfunction during the race but had to overcome a last-second surge from Commonwealth Games teammate Daniel Arnamnart (54.05), who squeezed past incumbent titleholder Ben Treffers (54.16) at the death.
“I knew going out tonight that the crowd would push me the first 25 metres and it didn’t end,” Stoeckel said.
“But I just knew I had it in the bag after last night’s swim. It felt great, my warm-up tonight felt great tonight but it just got down to the goggle situation.
“If I can win a race like that under pressure with goggles full of water then, hey, bring on London!”
In other results…
Women’s 200m freestyle semi finals:
Olympic relay gold medallist Bronte Barratt will start from lane four in the star studded Women’s 200m freestyle final tomorrow night. A two-time Australian champion in this event, Barratt was able to clock the fastest qualifying time of 1:56.88 ahead of three time Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice (1:57.57).
Defending champion and Australian record holder Kylie Palmer (1:57.75) also progressed along with Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist Blair Evans (1:57.78) and Southport Olympics’ Melanie Schlanger (1:57.91). Seven of the eight swimmers progressing through to the final registered Olympic A-qualifying times, which will make for an exciting race tomorrow night.
Women’s 200m IM semi finals:
Queenslander Stephanie Rice has backed up from the women’s 200m freestyle to qualify fastest for the women’s 200m IM. Rice, the reigning 200m IM Olympic champion, posted an A-qualifying time of 2:12.65 to secure lane four for tomorrow night’s final. Emily Seebohm also contested her second event of the night and didn’t show any signs of fatigue, with the triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist also posting an A-qualifying time of 2:13.00. Both girls will have to keep an eye on Alicia Coutts who will be looking to defend her Australian 200m IM title. The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in this event posted a 2:13.86 and will be in the picture come tomorrow night. Queensland duo Taylor McKeown (2:14.81) and Ellen Fullerton (2:15.61) will also contest the final.
Swimming Australia