TOKYO 2020: Swimming has long been a leader in inclusive sport and the decision to introduce the women’s 1500m freestyle and the men’s 800m free at an Olympic level in Tokyo 2020 presents an exciting opportunity in our sport.

The distance freestyle events have been a part of the World Championship program since 2001 and will make their debut in 2020 – as a welcome and positive step towards gender equality.

As well as this exciting opportunity for our distance swimmers, the mixed 4x100m medley relay will also be added to the program in 2020 – giving even more swimmers the chance to be a part of our rich relay history! 

What to expect…
Short term

• We will introduce the reverse distance events into our Selection Trials, beginning in 2018
• Ensure selection policy reflects number of swimmers required for relays
• Athletes will now be eligible for Georgina Hope Foundation Swimmers Support Scheme (GHFSSS) and dAIS Funding based on performances in the men’s 800m freestyle and women’s 1500m freestyle
• Local altitude camps in Thredbo and at National Training Centre
• Altitude distance camp to be held in Flagstaff, Arizona – for swimmers from 400-10,000m in September/October

Long term

• Continue to focus on relays, as there are now a significant number of medals available in relay events (7 in total)
• Continue to research strategies around relay change overs and use science and expertise to drive our decision making
• Reinforces our strategy to focus on ‘endurance freestyle’ events as a collective (800m – 10,000m) and not have a standalone Distance & OWS Program but rather an integrated program

Who to Watch…
Men’s 800m freestyle:

• Mack Horton – already an Olympic gold medallist in the 400m freestyle and a world championship silver medallist in the 1500m free, could this middle distance event be another medal chance for Mack? It will be a tough balancing act for the 21-year-old who in 2017 also demonstrated his speed in the 200m free. Striking the right balance between the events will be key for the Victorian over the next four years, but keep an eye on him if he does give this a shot on the international stage as he could just sneak onto the podium.

• Jack McLoughlin – A rising star on the distance swimming scene – Jack tried his hand at both pool and open water at the FINA World Championships this year finishing 13th in the men’s 800m freestyle, 11th in the 1500 and 23rd in his debut 5km open water race.

• Joshua Parrish – A regular in the distance freestyle finals at the Australian Championships, Josh finished third in the 1500m freestyle at 2017 nationals and has previously won a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle at the Junior Pan Pacs and finished just outside the podium in 4th in the 800m free at the same event. 

• Ollie Signorini – An up and comer on the open water scene, this distance specialist could give himself another shot at team selection in the men’s 800m freestyle. Ollie is currently in Taipei for the World Uni Games but his achievements so far include: 6th in the 10km at the Australian Championships, 1st in the Open Surf Race at the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships.

Women’s 1500m freestyle:

• Jessica Ashwood – Already a bronze medallist in the 400m freestyle from the 2015 World Championships, Jess Ashwood is the current Australian record holder in the event and has to potential to work her way up from the distance ranks to be internationally competitive in the 30-lap race as well.

• Ariarne Titmus – Ariarne Titmus has been one to watch in the junior ranks for quite some time, but after making her Dolphins debut at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest has announced herself as a real contender in the senior ranks as well. The 16-year-old finished fourth in the 400m freestyle and anchored the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team to silver at the 2017 World Championships but as the national title holder, Ariarne could be a forced to be reckoned with in the 800m freestyle as well.

• Kiah Melverton – A distance freestyle specialist that has competed for Australia in both open water and pool events, Kiah won bronze in the 800m freestyle at the World Short Course Championships in 2016 and could easily transition up to the 1500m free with her open water training.

• Kareena Lee – Open Water swimmer Kareena Lee only narrowly missed out on a spot on the Rio Olympic team but could get another chance in Tokyo in the 1500m freestyle. Kareena has already proven her potential in the event after taking out the title of Australian champion in the event in 2016.

Swimming Australia