Olympic Swimming Trials 2021: Everything you need to know and the Aussie stars to watch

Australia’s best swimmers will hit the pool over the next week for the Olympic swimming trials. Here are the stars to watch and everything you need to know.

Who are the Aussie swimming stars to watch out for?

The Olympics and Paralympics are edging closer and the hotly anticipated Australian swimming trials kick off on Saturday in Adelaide.

Who are the Aussie swimming stars to watch and how does selection work?

Here is your ultimate guide to the Australiam Olympic swimming trials.

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Kaylee McKeown after breaking the Commonwealth and Australian record for 100m backstroke. Picture: Delly Carr/SOPAC

Kaylee McKeown, 19

Events: 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m individual medley.

In 2019, she won a silver medal in the 200m backstroke at the world championships and a year later, she broke the short-course world records. She’s currently ranked No.1 in the world in her three events.

Ariarne Titmus, 20

Events: 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle.

The “Terminator: did what many thought was impossible when she beat American legend Katie Ledecky to win the 400m gold medal at the 2019 world championships. Is also a world-class swimmer at 200m and 800m and a member of the Australian 4x200m freestyle relay that holds the world records.

Ariarne Titmus is world class. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Lani Pallister, 19

Events: 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle.

The daughter of Janelle Elford, who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Lani has followed in her mother’s slipstream, winning three gold and three silver medals at the 2019 junior world titles.

Cate Campbell, 29

Events: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle.

Already a three-time Olympian and double gold medallist, Campbell is bidding to join Leisel Jones as only the second Australian swimmer to qualify for four Olympics.

Cate Campbell is gunning to be the second Australian swimmer to become a four-time Olympian. Picture: AFP

Emma McKeon, 27

Events: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly.

Australia’s most versatile and reliable swimmer. Won four medals at the last Olympics and six at the last world championships, but yet to win an individual gold at either of the two biggest championships.

Kyle Chalmers, 22

Events: 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle.

Stunned the swimming world when he won the 100m gold medal at the last Olympics as a 18-year-old, but has been plagued with injuries since and faces a huge challenge defending his title against American superstar Caeleb Dressel.

Mack Horton, 25

Events: 400m freestyle.

Famously beat China’s Sun Yang to win gold at the last Olympics and has proven himself as a swimmer who rises to the occasion, but has been struggling this season.

Mitch Larkin, 27

Events: 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m individual medley.

Larkin has genuine hopes of winning medals in the 200m backstroke and the 200m individual medley, but because of the schedule, can only pick one of them.

Mack Horton’s protest after Sun Yang’s gold medal in Gwangju. Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Qld Para swimming duo aim big at National Titles

Erin Smith

It has been five years since Lakeisha Patterson and Brenden Hall stood on a Paralympic podium – an opportunity they hope they get again.

The Queensland swimmers, both coached by Harley Connolly, will show off what five years of dedicated training can achieve at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials in Adelaide during the next six days.

Patterson, 22, will compete in the 400m freestyle and 100m freestyle multiclass events.

Hall, 28, will have a busy few days competing in the 50, 100 and 400m freestyle events, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly multiclass events.

Both will need to swim the qualifying times in each event and finish in the top three to book a ticket to the Tokyo Paralympics.

Paralympians Brenden Hall and Lakeisha Patterson train together at the Burpengary Regional Aquatic Leisure. Picture: Alan Quinney

Patterson, who won two gold, three silver and a bronze at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, said while feeling calm now, she knew the nerves would ramp up come race day.

“I’m definitely feeling confident in my preparation,” the Belgravia swimmer said.

“I’ve been doing this a long time but I still feel the nerves, I think nerves show that you really care about it.

“I know how to channel those nerves into good positive energy to get those fast twitch fibres going.”

The road to the trials has been a long one and Patterson said it wasn’t without its challenges, including an eight-week period in early 2020 where they couldn’t get in the pool due to a COVID-19 lockdown and of course the postponement of the Games.

“It gave us another year to focus on all those 1 per centres and really get the most out of time and technique,” Patterson said.

Patterson celebrates after winning the 50m freestyle final at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Picture: AAP /Dave Hunt

“It will be great to finally race and put all that hard work, up and down the pool and in the gym together.”

Hall hopes to make the cut for his fourth Paralympics in at least the 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly.

“I do have my own little personal goals and personal times I’d like to try and hit that I haven’t hit for a while and put the body under a bit of pressure,” Hall said.

“I haven’t had a chance to race under pressure and to actually race for something and fight for my spot on the Paralympic team is something that I have been looking forward to being able to do.”

“When you have those sorts of goals in your sights you tend to perform a lot better.”

Hall has won gold in the 400m freestyle (S9) event at the past two Olympics.

At Rio he won silver in the 100m freestyle, bronze in the 100m backstroke and narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the 100m butterfly, finishing fourth.

Coach Harley Connolly has worked with Hall for nine years and Patterson for two and says there is no reason both swimmers cannot make the cut at the National Titles.

Connolly said the duo had been putting 30 hours a week into training in the pool and gym.

“I don’t quite think they are PB ready but they are ready to swim the qualifying time,” he said.

Hall and Paterson at the 2016 Olympics Picture: Supplied

The Belgravia coach said apart from the eight weeks the pool was closed in early 2020 their preparation had not been disrupted too much.

A number of other Paralympians will take to the pool this week including Blake Cochrane, Monique Murphy, Paige Leonhardt and Daniel Fox to name a few.

Originally published as Olympic Swimming Trials 2021: Everything you need to know and the Aussie stars to watch