Australian swimming trials: Latest news and analysis from Wednesday events
Cate Campbell has made Australian Olympic history with her second-placed finish in the 100m freestyle – but all eyes will be on the swimmer who came first.
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Australian swimming’s sprint Queen Cate Campbell has made it through to her fourth Olympic Games, after emerging unscathed from one of the fastest races on water to book her place on the team to Tokyo.
At 29, Campbell is showing no signs of slowing down, posting a blistering time of 52.59 seconds in the 100m freestyle to finish second behind the unstoppable Emma McKeon, the fastest woman in the world over the past two years.
McKeon won the final in 52.35, slightly slower than her sizzling heat swim of 52.19 to qualify for her third event in Tokyo after already making the team in 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly.
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Campbell is currently ranked No.2 in the world while Madi Wilson moved to No.3 after finishing third in 52.76 and Meg Harris is 5th after coming fourth in 52.92.
With Bronte Campbell fifth in 53.08, Australia boasts five of the top seven women in the world right now, making them almost unbackable favourites to win the 4x100m relay gold in Japan.
“The depth of talent in this event is just incredible,” Cate Campbell said.
“We’ve just shown that four girls can step up and swim under 53 seconds with a gun start, who knows what we can do with flying starts.”
Campbell will make history in joining Leisel Jones as Australia’s only swimmers to compete in four Olympic games.
McKeon’s best performances until now have mostly been in 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle so she has surprised even herself with how fast she’s going right now.
“I never really thought that the 100m would be one of my specialities but that‘s because my 200m work gives me a good back end and allows me to hold on,” she said.
With the rising youngsters Kaylee McKeown, Ariarne Titmus, Elijah Winngington and Zac Stubblety-Cook all ranked No.1 in the world in at least one event each, the Australian team for Tokyo is shaping up as one of the greatest ever to wear the green and gold.
“Young people always inspire me,” Campbell said.
“They inspire me with their energy, their passion, their love for the sport, which as you get older, you get a bit jaded so it kind of reminds me why I do it.
“What I love about Olympic trials is that moment where you see someone turn around and check the scoreboard and you see someone‘s dream come true.”
“You can see it in their eyes and in their face and there has been so many magical moments this week and I‘m glad I got to have mine.”
Women’s 200m breastroke
Jenna Strauch and Abbey Harkin both safely qualified in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
Strauch won the final in 2:23.12 with Harkin taking second in 2:23.59.
Strauch was a rising star of Australian swimming when she was in her teens before she got struck down with serious illness while representing Australia at the 2013 junior world championships in Dubai.
She contracted three parasites and salmonella that drained her strength and made swimming impossible.
She was so unwell that she quit the sport until the cause of her illness was diagnosed and she began to recover.
Tristan Hollard qualified by winning the men’s 200m backstroke in 1:56.44.
Ty Hartwell, who was disqualified from the heats but won an appeal to be reinstated, finished second but just missed the qualifying time.
Men’s 200m individual medley
Mitch Larkin is surfacing as a serious contender to fill one of the voids left by Michael Phelps at the Tokyo Olympics.
Larkin is among a handful of experienced swimmers who have taken up the 200m individual medley after the now retired Phelps won the multi-event race at each of the past four Olympics.
Larkin won the race at the Australian trials in 1:56.29, the second fastest time in the world this year.
Larkin has already qualified in the 100m backstroke and dropped out of Wednesday’s 200m backstroke — his signature event — to focus on the medley.
Brendon Smith — who won the 400m medley — finished second.
“I have a few things to work on, my ‘fly was a bit long into the wall, the breast turn was a little sloppy but they are really minor things,” Larkin said.
“I am probably going to get crucified by (coach) Dean (Boxall) for lifting my head before I touched the wall a little but they all add up.
“You want to carry as much speed from one stroke into the next and the best way to do that is with powerful turns, if you look at Phelps and (Ryan) Lochte, that is where they absolutely kill the rest of the world on their underwater work which is fantastic.”
Earlier: McKeon throws down electric time
Unstoppable Emma McKeon blasted the fastest time in the world this year to top the qualifiers for the women’s 100m freestyle at the Olympic trials on Wednesday.
Already on the team for Tokyo in 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly, McKeon looks poised to qualify for a third individual event after winning her heat in 52.19 seconds.
That’s the best time any woman has swum since the 2019 world championships and elevated her to fourth fastest all-time.
As long as she finishes in the top two in the final, McKeon will head to Tokyo as a genuine contender for gold and part of a red-hot relay team overflowing with speedsters.
Former world record holder Cate Campbell was second fastest in 52.78 and is ranked No. 2 in the world this year.
Madi Wilson (53.06) and Meg Harris (53.23) also moved into the top eight for 2021, while Bronte Campbell (53.35) qualified fifth to boost her chances of making the relay team.
Ranked third in the world this year, Mitch Larkin is the clear favourite to win the men’s 200m individual medley after setting the fastest time of 1:59.21.
Larkin has already qualified in the 100m backstroke and dropped out of Wednesday’s 200m backstroke – his signature event – to focus on the medley.
“It was just a case of not overcomplicating my day today. I‘m not going to be doing both at the Olympics,” Larkin said.
“I sort of made that clear so it’s about focusing on executing what we need to do in those races and obviously shortening the amount of time I spent in the pool and sort of making life a lot easier than it sort of could have been doing both swims.”
Se-Bom Lee and Brendon Smith – who have both already qualified for the 400m medley – qualified second and third.
With Larkin opting out of the 200m backstroke heats, Tristan Hollard set the pace by clocking 1:58.79 with Travis Mahoney (1:58.82) a whisker behind in second.
Jenna Strauch led the women’s 200m breaststroke qualifiers when she got her hands on the wall in 2:25.24 with Abbey Harkin second quickest.
THURSDAY LOOK AHEAD
Women’s 200m backstroke
Olympic Qualifying time: 2:09.40
All eyes will be on the clock when Kaylee McKeown races. The Queensland teenager broke the 100m world record on the weekend and is expected to go close to the 200m as well. Emily Seebohm, who has already qualified in the 100m for her fourth Olympics, is expected to take the second spot.
Men’s 100m butterfly
Olympic Qualifying time: 51.70
Former scaffolder Matthew Temple has been one of the breakout stars of the trials, qualifying in the 200m butterfly and 100m butterfly and is the favourite to win the 100m. The big danger is David Morgan, who has already qualified in the 100m.
Women’s 800m freestyle
Olympic Qualifying time: 8:29.70
Ariarne Titmus is the unbackable favourite after winning the 200m and 400m but the race for the second spot is wide open with Madeleine Gough and Kiah Melverton – who qualified first and second in 1500m – the frontrunners ahead of Lani Pallister.
Women’s 50m freestyle
Olympic Qualifying time: 24.46
This is a red-hot field so don’t blink or you might miss it. Ranked third in the world, Cate Campbell is the slight favourite ahead of Emma McKeon but Bronte Campbell, Madi Wilson, Meg Harris and Mollie O’Callaghan all have a good shout.
Men’s 50m freestyle
Olympic Qualifying time: 21.77
Fresh from his third place finish in the 100m, which will get him on the relay, Cam McEvoy is the likely winner but the question is will he or anyone else get the qualifying time as no man in Australia has managed to do that in the past 18 months.
Men’s 1500m freestyle
Olympic Qualifying time: 14:55.06
The last race of the trials. Jack McLoughlin looks a shoo-in after finishing second in the 400m and winning the 800m. Teenager Tom Neill should take second after finishing runner up in the 800m.
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Originally published as Australian swimming trials: Latest news and analysis from Wednesday events
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