Seebohm shines with backstroke double in Monte Carlo

Emily Seebohm has rediscovered her form as she prepares to defend her world titles in Budapest next month.

Emily Seebohm wins the 100m backstroke at the Australian swimming championships in Brisbane in April. Picture: Peter Wallis

Swimming: Backstroke diva Emily Seebohm looked like a fading star at last year’s Rio Olympics, but she is shining brightly again as she prepares for her world title defence in Budapest next month.

She began her European tour with a victorious backstroke double at the opening round of the Mare Nostrum series in Monte Carlo at the weekend, downing the Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu in yesterday’s 100m final.

Seebohm has returned to the pool rejuvenated this year after two lots of surgery during the summer to address endometriosis (which undercut her Olympic preparation last year) and remove her wisdom teeth.

She was back to her old self at the national trials in April and continued on that arc in Monte Carlo. She won the 100m backstroke there in a meet record of 59.23sec, more than a second faster than third-placed Hosszu (1:00.47).

Fellow world champion Mitch Larkin is also finding his feet again after an underwhelming performance at the national trials, where he admitted to being 5kg above his racing weight after an extended post-Olympic break.

He has clearly made up ground in the two months since the trials, and won the backstroke double in Monte Carlo. His weekend was highlighted by his 200m win in 1min 56.86sec, just a fraction slower than his tapered trials time.

The national team’s oldest rookie for Budapest, 29-year-old Holly Barratt, completed Australia’s backstroke dominance in Monaco, winning the 50m backstroke knockout competition in 27.66sec.

World 50m and 100m freestyle champion Bronte Campbell now knows just how big the challenge is to successfully defend her titles in Budapest after coming off second-best against in-form Swede Sarah Sjostrom in the freestyle sprints.

Sjostrom, who is always quick in-season, won the 100m freestyle in 52.60, a second ahead of Campbell (53.68sec), who tends to time her run for the championships.

That outcome was repeated in the final duel to decide the 50m winner, as Sjostrom triumphed in 23.95sec, from Campbell (24.58sec).

Olympic 400m freestyle champion Mack Horton got in some much-needed 200m race practice, finishing third (1:48.56) behind reigning world champion James Guy (1:47.27).