SWIMMING: The sister-act of Cate and Bronte Campbell finally had their chance to join in the action at the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships when the heats of the women’s 100m freestyle got underway at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Adelaide.
It was a long wait for the sprint siblings who were eager to dive in and join their teammates on the race to Rio.
Older sister Cate was the fastest qualifier for tonight’s semi-final, touching in 53.25 ahead of Brisbane Grammar swimmer Brittany Elmslie who was the second fastest qualifier in 53.64.
“I was next to Britt and she was swimming bloody fast,” Campbell said.
“I didn’t know if I was swimming slowly or she was swimming fast but I thought I better get on that wall first. So I made sure I did and it turned out that she was swimming fast!
“It’s a huge relief to be in the water. I’m feeling pretty good, I had a reasonable prep. I am just looking forward to getting in and getting it done. Apart from wanting it to start, I want it to be over.”
Bronte was the third fastest qualifier in 53.73 with Emma McKeon (54.11), Madison Wilson (54.40), Bronte Barratt (54.68), Alicia Coutts (54.88) and Kotuku Ngawati (54.88) all in the mix.
World Champion Mitch Larkin was back in the pool today in the heats of the 200m backstroke. Having already qualified for Rio in the 100m back, the 22-year-old is now looking to add the 200 to his schedule. He swam a solid 1:57.27 to ease his way into tonight’s semi-final.
“It was good. It was pretty controlled and pretty comfortable so I’m happy with that,” Larkin said of his swim.
“I think the 200 pace in warm-up is a lot more comfortable, it’s the stroke rate that I like to sit at and I do a lot of training at. So this morning was pretty comfortable and it was a pretty exciting.”
In the women’s 200m breaststroke, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Taylor McKeown (USC Spartans, QLD) swam 2:27.38 and will move through as the fastest qualifier for tonight’s semi-final. Sally Hunter looks good for a finals berth in front of her home crowd with Tessa Wallace (Pelican Waters, QLD) also hoping to make the final eight after swimming 2:33.73 this morning. Australian Champion from the 100m breast Georgia Bohl is in the mix, as is young gun Sarah Beale from Acacia Bayside who is just 15 years old.
Although not an Olympic event, the final of the men’s 800m freestyle saw Jack McLoughlin post 8:00.71 to win the Australian title. Earlier in the meet the 21-year-old from Chandler was third in the 400m freestyle and is showing promising signs for his future in distance freestyle. Ethan Owens was second in 8:06.70 and Nathan Robinson was third in 8:13.69.
Dual Australian Champion from the meet so far Thomas Fraser-Holmes who grabbed gold in the 200m freestyle and 400m individual medley, could be on his way to title number three after the 24-year-old from Miami recorded a solid heat swim in the men’s 200m individual medley.
Fraser-Holmes clocked 1:59.72 with plenty left in the tank for tonight’s semi-final and tomorrow’s final should he progress. Mackay’s Justin James was the second fastest qualifier in 2:01.86 with Kazimir Boskovic (Sydney University, NSW) and Daniel Tranter (Trinity Grammar, NSW) also strong finishing third and fourth fastest respectively.
SWIMMING AUSTRALIA
