Fresh faces emerge in men’s freestyle final
Swimming Australia
Published: Sep 14, 2012 04:51:27 PM Updated: Oct 17, 2012 12:11:19 PM
The heats of the men’s 400m freestyle proved the Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii was a perfect preparation for three rising stars.
Queensland training partners Jordan Harrison and Matt Levings (3:48.87) along with Victorian distance specialist Mack Horton (3:48.65) will take the top three spots leading into the final tonight.
After taking the title in the men’s 800m freestyle earlier in the week, Harrison had enough left in the tank to edge out Horton, winning his heat in a time of 3:48.43.
Junior Pan Pacs gold medallist from this event, Levings will be looking to improve on his third place ranking tonight with silver medallist from this event in Hawaii, Horton ranked second.
If any of the trio can get under the selection time of 3:41.44 they will gain selection onto their first senior National team.
In the corresponding women’s event, South African swimmer Jessica Pengelly (4:06.97) proved too strong in the heats of the women’s 400m freestyle. Pengelly won her heat convincingly and went on to secure the top time; but as a visitor she won’t compete in the final.
With a gold medal and Australian title from the 800m freestyle last night, it will be 17-year-old Laura Crockart (4:09.58) who will go in as favourite. Crockart, who also medalled in this event at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships, got the better of London Olympian and hometown hero Blair Evans (4:09.66) who rounds out the top three.
Defending champion Grant Paterson broke a world record for his classification in the heats of the men's 100m freestyle Multi Class. Fresh off the plane from the London Paralympics, Paterson will go into the final as favourite in a time of 1:55.49 – over half a second faster than his 2011 Championship winning time of 1:56.10.
There will be no rest for London Olympic gold medallist Brittany Elmslie who will swim for two titles on night three of the EnergyAustralia Short Course Championships in Perth.
The 18-year-old will go through as favourite for the women’s 50m butterfly ahead of 14-year-old Lucia Lassman and then back up for the final of the women’s 100m freestyle where she is ranked equal third with Kotuku Ngawati, behind Australian record holder Marieke Guehrer and her London Olympic teammate Angie Bainbridge.
Fellow Olympic debutant Cameron McEvoy will test his speed in the final of the men’s 50m freestyle when he goes up against Word Championship gold medallist Matthew Abood and his younger brother Andrew Abood.
All three men will by fighting for the title and a position on the World Championship team but they will need to improve on their semi-final times in order to record a time of 21.29 or better to be eligible for selection.
Women’s 200m backstroke
Dual Australian Age Champion from April this year Jordan White will take pole position going into the women’s 200m backstroke final tonight, stopping the clock at 2:09.18. White cruised through her heat and managed to hold off attacks from the 2011 title holder in this event Mikkayla Sheridan (2:10.05) to take top spot.
Australian Short Course Champion from the Women’s 400m IM Ellen Fullerton will go through just behind Sheridan in a time of 2:10.31. After placing fifth in this event at the Junior Pan Pacs last month, Sheridan will need to get ahead of White, and a fast finishing Fullerton, early to defend her title.
Men’s 50m butterfly
Following on from his bronze medal in the men’s 100m butterfly last night Joseph Carty showed superior speed in men’s 50m butterfly heats to just get the better of West Coast swimmer Ben Lindsay and move through to tonight’s semi-final in first place.
The final 8 spots to be determined tonight will come down to the touch as Carty hit the wall just 0.08 of a second ahead of Lindsay and just 0.39 ahead of Olympian Chris Wright who finished fifth fastest.
Men's 50m Backstroke
World Championships bronze medallist Bobby Hurley (24.52) was back in the water this morning after last night's gold medal winning performance in the men's 100m backstroke that saw him equal the qualifying time for the 2012 World Short Course Championship team.
A two-time title-holder in this event, Hurley progressed through to the semi-final of the men's 50m backstroke in third position after late attacks from Australian Championship silver medallist Mitchell Dixon and the 2010 title-holder Ben Treffers.
100m Backstroke Multi Class
Following on from his silver medal win the men's 100m breaststroke Multi Class, Sydney Paralympian Jeremy Tidy (1:02.51) has his eye set firmly on gold in the men's 100m backstroke Multi Class final. The WA export claimed lane four ahead of Victorian Timothy Disken with Kieran Murphy (1:07.07) rounding out the top three.
Women's 100m Breaststroke
The streamlined style of 2009 World Championship silver medallist Sarah Katsoulis couldn’t be matched in the heats of the women’s 100m breaststroke.
Katsoulis, who first won the title in 2008, interrupting the reign of four-time Olympian Leisel Jones, will be pushed in the semi-final by dual Olympian and West Australian Sally Foster who qualified a mere 0.05 seconds behind to finish in 1:07.32.
Oceanic Championship gold medallist Lorna Tonks, who had to settle for third behind Katsoulis at Olympic Trials in this event, will be looking to improve on her placing leading into the semi.
Men's 200m IM
After obliterating the 2012 World Short Course Championships qualifying time in the men’s 100m butterfly final last night Kenneth To will now concentrate on chasing back to back Australian Titles in the men's 200m individual medley tonight.
Short course specialist, To holds the fastest time going into the final after hitting the wall in 1:57.07, one second ahead Youth Olympic gold medallist and Olympic trials finalist in this event, Justin James (1:58.07).
South Australian Sam Beinke has made a vast improvement on his performance in this event at last year's Championships, eclipsing his previous tenth place finish to qualify in equal third position after dead-heating with the ever consistent Travis Mahoney in 1:59.91.
Men's 200m Breaststroke
After finishing out of the medals in the men's 100m breaststroke, Nicholas Schafer (2:10.04) is now on target to medal in the final of the men's 200m breaststroke. Schafer has relegated 100m breaststroke bronze medallist Nikolas Pregelj (2:11.64) to second position while a courageous effort from Junior Pan Pacs finalist Lennard Bremer (2.12.23) has put him in the mix for a medal too.
Tickets are available at swimming.org.au, with finals starting at 6:30pm.
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