Swimming national age championships 2022: Flynn Southam impresses ahead of Commonwealth Games
Meet the next generation of Australian swimming stars, including a teen faster than our past two Olympic 100m champions at the same age.
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Meet Flynn Southam - the Aussie swimmer faster than the winners of the last two Olympic 100m titles at the same age.
The 16-year-old Gold Coaster, from the Bond University squad recently taken over by Aussie Olympic team coach Chris Mooney - the man who guided Kaylee McKeown to three gold at the Tokyo Games - has set tongues wagging with his performances at the national age championships in Adelaide over the past week.
In winning the sprint freestyle treble, Southam is setting times that are nudging - or in some cases bettering - those set by Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers and Ian Thorpe at the same age.
His winning time in the 50m freestyle was just 0.21sec behind Chalmers’ national age record, while his 200m freestyle mark of 1min 46.77sec was the closest anyone has come to Thorpe’s national age record (1:46.00) in 23 years.
It also ranks in the top 20 times swum in the even in the world this year and is the 17th fastest on an Australian all-time list brimming with Olympic and world champions.
But it’s in the blue riband 100m that Southam shines.
His time of 48.60 beat Chalmers’ 2015 national age record (48.69), a time the South Australian set just 12 months out from his gold medal swim at the Rio Olympics.
It’s also faster than American Caleb Dressell - the Tokyo Olympic champion - swam at the same age.
Southam took to Instagram after his massive swims to reveal how a significant mindset shift had totally changed his perspective on racing and the sport.
“If you’d looked back over my past 12 months and compare it to this time last year I was a very different person and athlete...” he wrote.
“I wasn’t enjoying much, especially swimming. I had ridiculously high toxic pressure/expectations on myself from myself and it was a detrimental experience to my health.
“I say this as it’d force me to race in that fight or flight mentality (that result and end time was do or die for me).
“I thought my happiness and self worth was reliant on the results and not the process.
“I’m saying all this because it’s such an easy trap to fall into for everyone no matter the level of swimmer you are. You’ve got to be aware of this as well...
“Anyway fast forward to this past week, a lot has changed since 12 months ago, the people in my circle have changed and for the better! I thank my family/friends, coaches and sponsors for the endless support! It’s an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as some of Australia’s greatest to ever do it, so.... Let’s bring on trials baby!!”
Bond coaching director Kyle Samuelson, who has guided Southam’s career for several years, and Mooney, who took on head coaching duties at Bond in January, have wrapped the talent in cotton wool to an extent, knowing he needs to be nurtured carefully to reach his potential.
But the teen will line up at the world championship trials, also being held in Adelaide, next month and has every chance of pushing into the 100m final and snaring a relay spot.
Southam is just one of the stars of the age titles though, with youngsters from around the country emerging with dreams of representing Australia in a home Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 2026 and Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032.
Here are some of the best performances over the past week.
Hannah Casey - 15
MCA (Marist College Ashgrove), Brisbane
Like Southam, Casey, who is coached by James Boyce claimed the sprint freestyle treble in Adelaide and stamped herself as one of the most impressive emerging freestylers in the country.
Set a national record in the 200m, winning in 1:58.49 to beat the 2018 mark of world junior champion Lani Pallister, while she is the second-fastest Aussie 15-year-old of all-time behind Cate Campbell (53.30) after winning the 100m in 54.30.
In a remarkable 100m final, all three medallists dipped under the 55sec barrier, with Casey finishing ahead of Olivia Wunsch (54.82) from the Carlile club in Sydney and Bond’s Milla Jansen (54.94).
Casey is no one-trick pony though, also picking up gold in the 50m and 100m butterfly.
Marcus Da Silva - 15
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney sprinter is a year younger than Southam but is hot on his heels, showing similar progression.
In winning the 100m freestyle in 50.33, Da Silva won in a time only bettered by Southam, Chalmers and Thorpe at the same age, while his 200m freestyle victory (1:50.72) put him in a bracket with Thorpe and Tokyo Olympic finalist Elijah Winnington.
Also snatched gold in the one-lap dash in 23.45 and has set several qualifying marks for the world junior titles in Peru.
Abbey Connor - 16
Revesby Workers, NSW
Named in the Australian junior open water team for the world championships in the Seychelles in September, Connor showed she’s just as comfortable in the pool, snaring medals in some of the toughest events in the pool.
After breaking Olympic gold medallist Michelle Ford’s 42-year-old state record in the 200m fly last year, Connor hung on in the final 50m in Adelaide to dead heat for first with Bella Grant, with both dipping under the 2:10 mark (2:09.98).
Also won the 400m individual medley in arguably the toughest event in the pool.
Ike Martinez - 15
Rackley, Brisbane
Martinez won gold in the 100m and 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle to show himself as one of the great talents of the week.
But the most enjoyable aspect of the Cairns product’s performance was his duel with Da Silva, who he beat into second place in the 100m butterfly and 400m freestyle, while the Sydneysider had the best of his rival in the shorter freestyle events.
Bella Grant - 16
Trinity Grammar, NSW
Grant showed incredible back-end speed and determination to swim down favourite Abbey Connor to dead heat for gold in the 200m butterfly and did it again in the 100m fly, swamping Connor and Nunawading’s Isabella Boyd to win in 59.68. In a quality race, the trio all broke the minute mark, with just 0.13sec separating first and third.
Fergus McLachlan - 17
Norwood Swimming Club, Adelaide
Won the backstroke double, snaring gold in the 100m and 200m to pick up a pair of titles for the Norwood club before teammate Harrison Biddell got in on the action in the same age group, taking out the 200m breaststroke.
Olympia Pope - 13
Somerset, Gold Coast
Snared the 50m/100m/200m breaststroke treble, breaking her own national age record in the process in the longer event just months after setting the mark at the Queensland state titles.
Coached by Chris Urquhart at Somerset College, Pope is a rising star of the sport whose record-breaking feats have her poised to join a legion of stars in the stroke, from Leisel Jones and Brooke Hanson to fellow Gold Coaster and Tokyo relay gold medallist Chelsea Hodges.
Hayden Hoang - 15
MLC Marlins, Adelaide
Won the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke in his age division to stamp himself as an emerging talent in the stroke. Good result for South Australia, which was also represented on the dais by Clancy Luscombe from the Marion club, who won gold in the 16 years 400m individual medley.
Kaci Curtis - 13
St Peters Western, Brisbane
Emerging talent Curtis has dominated her age group in Adelaide winning five gold in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, the 50m and 100m freestyle. Showed her versatility also picking up a silver in the 50m butterfly to add to her swag of medals from the event.
Nicholas Stoupas - 14
Cranbrook, NSW
The young gun finished with five gold medals in his first national age championships, scooping the pool in breaststroke events, as well as taking out the 100m freestyle in a snappy 52.89. Also picked up a medal in the individual medley to show his incredible versatility.
Mikayla Bird - 14
Bond University, Gold Coast
Snared four individual gold - in the 100m and 200m butterfly and 200m and 400m freestyle to show herself to be an ironwoman of the pool. Part of a strong Bond squad making waves at the titles.
William Petric - 17
Nunawading, Melbourne
Taking on some of the toughest events in the pool, all-rounder Petric won the 200m and 400m individual medley titles in his age group, following in the footsteps of world championship and Olympic medallist Mitch Larkin.
Taryn Roberts - 15
Rockhampton City, Queensland
Roberts and teammate Amelie Smith showed the strength of Queensland’s regional programs, winning four gold for their club. Roberts snared wins in the 200m breaststroke and 200m and 400m individual medley, while Smith won the 13 years 400m individual medley in her first appearance at the national titles.
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