Ngawati claims short course title but just short of selection
Swimming Australia
Published: Sep 16, 2012 12:11:49 PM Updated: Oct 17, 2012 12:10:50 PM
World Short Course silver medallist Kotuku Ngawati (2:10.17) has upstaged a strong field in the final of the women’s 200m individual medley to win her maiden Australian short course title on the fourth night of the EnergyAustralia Short Course Championships in Perth.
Ngawati, swimming in lane seven, led from the beginning and refused to forfeit her advantage, holding off fast-finishing Olympian Blair Evans, who was touched out for silver in 2:10.46
While the minor placings changed throughout the race, Ellen Fullerton, who always featured within the top three, grabbed bronze to go with her 400m IM gold on night one.
“I feel really good, it was unexpected,” she said.
“I was quite nervous before the race but I swam well and I was really happy with it.
“I saw Blair coming and I just thought ‘come on, you’re almost there’ and I managed to pull through.”
Ngawati’s time was cruelly just 0.08 seconds outside the qualifying time of the World Short Course Championships in Turkey in December.
In the Multi Class finals, man of the moment Paralympian Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson has broken two short course world records for his classification tonight, the first in the final of men’s 50m freestyle multi-class and the second in the 100m breaststroke multi-class.
Patterson, who was defending champion in the 50m freestyle, set a new world record for the event in the heats this morning, before knocking more than a second off the mark to finish in 53.51.
The performance allowed him to claim the freestyle-double after his world record breaking performance in the men’s 100m freestyle final.
Patrick Donachie 2008 titleholder, collected his third silver of the meet in 26.65 while Sydney Paralympian Jeremy Tidy finished third in 24.84.
In the 100m breaststroke Patterson (2:18.61) claimed the event ahead of defending champion and good mate Ahmed Kelly who claimed the silver in 1:53.27. Jesse Aungles (1:30.56) finished third.
Nothing could separate the leading contenders in the final of the women’s 100m breaststroke with the Australian Short Course title being awarded to both Sarah Katsoulis (1:06.42) and Samantha Marshall (1:06.42).
A speedy start from 2009 World Championship silver medallist Katsoulis saw her take the lead early and remain in front until the final turn. However, Marshall powered through the final 25m and took a long lunge at the wall to touch in equal first with Katsoulis – who opted for the extra stroke at the finish.
London Olympic finalist Sally Foster was next in to the wall, stopping the clock at 1:06.79 to claim the bronze medal.
In other events…
Men’s 100m freestyle
London Olympian Cameron McEvoy has set the standard in the semi-finals of the men’s 100m freestyle, powering past pocket rocket Kenneth To (47.54) to win his race in 47.23, and take top spot into the finals. To snuck into the top eight in fifth position.
World Cup short course gold medallist Kyle Richardson took second rank while McEvoy’s Olympic teammate Tomasso D’Orsogna and World Championship gold medallist Matt Abood were third and fourth respectively.
Women’s 50m backstroke
Victorians Rachel Goh and Grace Loh will write another chapter to their growing aqua rivalry in the final of the women’s 50m backstroke tomorrow night.
While Loh took the medal in Thursday night’s 100m backstroke, tonight it was defending champion Goh who booked lane four for the tomorrow night’s final with a time of 27.32.
Loh’s time of 27.48 indicates that the decider will be another hotly contested affair while West Australian local Holly Barratt swam a short course personal best time of 27.52 to qualify third fastest.
Women’s 100m butterfly
Silver medallist from the 200m butterfly earlier in the meet, Brianna Throssell (58.61) will go through to tomorrow night’s 100m butterfly final as favourite ahead of Olympic gold medallist Brittany Elmslie (58.87).
Following on from her international success at the recent Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii, Throssell is rising through the ranks and at just 16 years of age she is marked as a swimmer to watch. Six of the top eight finalists recorded times within one second of each other.
Men’s 50m butterfly
The men’s 50m butterfly final proved to be a turbulent affair with New South Welshman Joseph Carty overcoming the unsettled waters to claim his first Australian short course title.
Australian Championship bronze medallist Ben Lindsay found his form early leading at the 25 metre-mark and was rewarded with the silver in a time of 23.56, while Olympian Christopher Wright (23.64) equalled his qualifying time to earn his first medal of the championships finishing strongly in third position.
Men’s 100m IM
Three-time Junior Pan Pacific gold medallist from 2010 Kenneth To’s outstanding underwater work has propelled the short course specialist into prime position for the final of men’s 100m individual medley.
To (52.32), the 2010 and 2011 titleholder, will enter tomorrow night’s final aiming to complete three successive Australian Short Course titles in the event, as well as collecting the crown to complete a gold medal trifecta for the meet.
Standing in To’s way is London Olympian Tommaso D’Orsogna (53.67), who is seeking his first gold medal of the competition in front of his home crowd, and who qualified in second place.
South Australian Sam Beinke is the third fastest qualifier in 54.53.
Men’s 50m breaststroke
Commonwealth and Australian record holder Christian Sprenger is back on track to defend his 2011 title following an impressive swim in the men’s 50m breaststroke semi-final.
Sprenger won his semi in a time of 27.27 – just 0.20 off his 2011 gold medal winning time.
Recent 100m breaststroke bronze medallist Nikolas Pregelj hit the wall in 27.49 and will be chasing Sprenger all the way to the wall tomorrow night.
Australian Institute of Sport swimmer Max Ireland kept up with the fast pace set by Sprenger to take third place into the final in a time of 27.89.
Women’s 50m freestyle MC
London Paralympian Katherine Downie has claimed her first 50m freestyle MC title, winning her final in a time of 29.17.
Downie, who claimed the women’s 100m freestyle multi class final last night, took the race ahead of fellow Paralympic teammate Amanda Fowler (30.05) and Teneale Houghton (28.55), who added a bronze medal to the two gold and a silver she’d already collected at this meet.
Women’s 50m freestyle
World Championships representative Olivia Halicek will take the fastest time into the women’s 50m freestyle final after recording 24.61.
Olympic gold medallist Brittany Elmslie finished hot on the heels of Halicek in a time of 24.69.
Alexandra Purcell (24.72), who contested the corresponding final in 2010, and recently re-crowned national 100m freestyle short course champion Marieke Guehrer (24.78) finished a fraction further back in the splash-and-dash event.
Women’s 100m breaststroke MC
Amanda Fowler has claimed her first national short course title in the women’s 100m breaststroke multi-class event.
Fifteen-year-old Fowler, who finished second in tonight’s 50m freestyle MC, finished ahead of Madeleine Scott (1:23.56) with Queensland’s Hellen Hasseloff third in 1:35.06.
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