Elijah Winnington wins the 200m freestyle at the Queensland Championships in Chandler

Australia’s future swimming stars are on show this week at the Queensland Championships at Chandler. Check out all the best photos from the competiton so far in our picture gallery.

• PHOTO GALLERY:The best shots so far from the Championships

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Elijah Winnington passed up a berth in the Australian team now at the World Short Course swimming titles in China to compete at the Queensland Championships and last night it paid off with a win in the 200m freestyle.

The championships, at Chandler, are missing some of the state’s biggest names, such as Mitch Larkin, Emily Seebohm, Cameron McEvoy and Ariarne Titmus – all in China – and Cate Campbell who is recovering from minor surgery.

Elijah Winnington pictured during the mens open 200m freestyle at the 2018 Queensland Swimming Championships at Chandler. Picture: Josh Woning

But there are still plenty of current and future champions on show.

Winnington, who was part of Australia’s gold medal winning team in the 4x200m freestyle relay at this year’s Commonwealth Games, won the second race on the program in a time of 1:46.64.

Second was Commonwealth Games 1500m freestyle champion Jack McLoughlin in 1:46.90.

“I turned down the short course championships for just this reason,” he said.

“I wanted to swim in my state championships and get some long course racing under my belt.

“I achieved that with a personal best time so I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a great year for me and this is the perfect way to end it.”

Winnington 18, still has the Open 400m freestyle and some age-group races to compete in over the next few days but sees the 200m freestyle as his main event looking forward to next year’s world championships in South Korea and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Gold Coast youngster Elijah Winnington swam the fastest split in the Commonwealth Games gold medal relay. Photo: Delly Carr

It has been a huge year for the Gold Coast product who set himself the goal of making his first Australian team for the Commonwealth Games.

He did that in spectacular style, becoming the youngest member of the swim team at the trials and then earning a spot in the relay through a three way swim-off.

He then swam the fastest split in the gold medal race ahead of Olympic individual gold medal winning teammates Mack Horton and Kyle Chalmers.

“Winning that gold medal was beyond my expectations but getting into that team and winning this state title was what I set myself to do,’’ he said.

“Now it’s a case of finishing this meet then going away for a little while to reflect on the year and prepare for what’s ahead.

“It’s going to be a lot of hard work but the next two years are going to be very exciting.”

Shayna Jack won the women’s 200m freestyle.

Winner of the women’s 200m freestyle was Shayna Jack in 1:58.30, ahead of Olympian Emma McKeon in 1:58.73.

A member of Australia’s gold medal winning 4x100m freestyle relay at the Gold Coast Games, Jack has just moved to St Peters Western swim club at Indooroopilly after being coached by Simon Cusack at Chandler alongside the Campbell sisters, Cate and Bronte.

With Cusack and the Campbells moving to Sydney in the New Year, Jack was offered the opportunity to join them but elected to stay in Brisbane.

Olympian Georgia Bohl, coached by her father Michael at Griffith University Swimming Club won the women’s open 200m breaststroke in 2:28.48.

First swimmer home in the men’s event was Matthew Wilson from SOPAC swim club in Sydney in 2.09.14 who just touched out Queensland’s Zac Stubblety-Cook who recorded 2.09.15.

Winner of the women’s 100m backstroke was Mollie O’Callaghan in 1:02.81. Men’s winner was Brad Woodward from NSW in 55.10 with Ian Mills from Brisbane Grammar the first Queenslander home – and therefore new Queensland champion - in 55.86.

Originally published as Elijah Winnington wins the 200m freestyle at the Queensland Championships in Chandler