Grant Hackett through to freestyle final at Rio Olympics trials
GRANT Hackett has moved a mini-step closer to the Rio Olympics by progressing to tonight’s 400m freestyle final at the official trials in Adelaide.
GRANT Hackett has moved a mini-step closer to the Rio Olympics by progressing to tonight’s 400m freestyle final at the official trials in Adelaide.
Looking calm and relaxed, Hackett gave the thumbs up after clocking 3mins 47.75 secs to qualify fourth fastest in the event behind defending champion Mack Horton (3:44.90), David McKeon (3:45.62) and Jack McLoughlin (3:46.61).
Barely sighted on the racing circuit over summer as he battled illness and trained overseas, it was the first time Hackett showed his form which makes a fourth Olympics in Rio a very real possibility.
The top eight swimmers from today’s five heats have progressed to tonight’s final but only the first two past the post will book an individual swim in Rio.
Hackett, who at 35 is attempting to become Australia’s oldest ever Olympic swimmer, believes his best chance of selection lies in the 200m freestyle which begins with heats and semi finals tomorrow.
But the triple Olympic gold medallist can seal a surprise berth tonight if he can upset either Horton or McKeon in the 400m freestyle — the event in which he was world champion in 2005 and won an Olympic silver medal in 2004.
“I was really, really pleased with that, I could stop the 400m now and be happy and take a lot of confidence into the 200m,” Hackett said post-swim.
“I just tried to get through as comfortable as I could this morning, get through with Mack, I knew at one stage he was going to kick and I didn’t really want to try to go with him because I knew if I was within a body length or two I’d be in the final tonight and 3:47 is a great swim.”
Hackett revealed he was planning to swim a 3:50 and didn’t know how his body would back up in tonight’s final.
“It doesn’t make it easy for finals but in saying that the first swim is always good to blow out some cobwebs and usually gets you going a bit, I’ll just recover and rest, it’s going to be a fast, fast final tonight — I’ve seen those boys go 44 or 45.
“We’ll have some fun with it tonight, I’m an underdog in this race and just looking forward to seeing how it pans out — it’s good for my 200m.”
Fastest qualifier Horton will swim from the middle lane in tonight’s final and said he was impressed by Hackett’s swim.
The two went stroke for stroke in the final heat before Horton pulled away in the final 150m.
“It’s very important (qualifying fastest) especially with my vision it’s a bit easier to see everyone across the pool and you’re in a position to control the race,” Horton said.
“That was a really good swim by him (Hackett) this morning and it’s great to see him through to the final.”
Australia can qualify two swimmers in every individual event on the Olympic program in Rio, which generally go to the first two in their respective finals this week provided they go under the Olympic qualifying time.
While a top two finish in the 200m freestyle would guarantee Hackett a spot on the team and almost certainly an individual swim, a top four result in the final on Saturday night is likely to get him on the 4x200m freestyle relay team.
Other medals to be decided in Adelaide tonight include the men’s and women’s 400m individual medley, the women’s 50m backstroke and men’s 50m butterfly.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist and six-time national champion Thomas Fraser-Holmes was not surprisingly the fastest qualifier in the men’s 400m IM.
Fraser-Holmes moved through to the final in the time of 4:16.08 — more than eight seconds quicker than the next best Travis Mahoney and Clyde Lewis.
Emma McKeon was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100m butterfly in 57.43 secs from Alicia Coutts and Madelin Groves while Mitch Kilduff and Ellie Cole set the pace in the men’s and women’s multi-class 50m freestyle ahead of their finals tonight.
Originally published as Grant Hackett through to freestyle final at Rio Olympics trials
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