Larkin and Seebohm set Commonwealth and Australian Standard

 

Swimming Australia, November 7, 2014: Brisbane’s record breaking backstrokers Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm have sent a clear message to the world tonight that they mean business in the up-coming FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Doha this December.

First Larkin and then Seebohm challenged the short course world records in the 100m backstroke finals in two spectacular swims at the SA  Aquatic & Leisure Centre on night two of the 2014 Australian Short Course Championships last night.

Larkin, 21, who set a new Commonwealth mark of 49.44 in last night’s breakthrough semi-final swim improved his record time again tonight, clocking 49.25 to win the gold medal – just 0.31secs outside American Nick Thoman’s 2009 world mark of 48.94.

The London Olympic 200m backstroke finalist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist from St Peters Western, proved too fast and too strong for defending champion Bobby Hurley  in 50.20 and Beijing Olympian Ashley Delaney  (51.30) who finished second and third respectively.

With the crowd still in awe of Larkin’s swim it was dual-Olympian Seebohm who then demonstrated her dominance with a powerhouse display of short course swimming.

The Nudgee Brothers swimmer only just missed the 2009 world record set by Japan’s Shiho Sakai by just 0.24secs – a record she’ll be hunting down in Doha.

Seebohm, 22, smashed her own Australian record by 1.11secs and the 2009 Commonwealth record set by Channelle Van Wyk (RSA) by 1.09secs, relegating Madison Wilson (56.97) to the silver medal position with Hayley Baker (57.45) taking the bronze. 

In other finals Nunawading’s Commonwealth Games representative Travis Mahoney went close to former World Short Course Champion Matt Dunn’s Australian All-Comers record set back in 1998, clocking 4:04.96, just 0.72 shy of Dunn’s 16-year-old record, but well shy of Tom Fraser-Holmes Commonwealth mark of 3:58.60.

Nudgee Brothers swimmer Jared Gilliland (4:08.26) finished second with Tomas Elliott (4:11.17) taking the bronze.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist, 22-year-old Leiston Pickett defended her 50m breaststroke crown, clocking 30.06 in a nail-biter from 17-year-old Georgia Bohl in 30.19 and 29-year-old dual Olympian Sally Hunter taking the bronze in 30.40.

Indooroopilly’s Jake Packard, who made his Australian team debut at this year’s Pan Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast, won his first National title when he clocked an outstanding 57.92, just 0.10 of a second outside dual Olympian Brenton Rickard’s 2008 All-Comers record and only 0.35secs outside London Olympic 100m silver medallist Christian Sprenger’s Australian record of 57.57 set in 2011.

Meanwhile Gold Coaster David Morgan from TSS Aquatics in Queensland broke through for his first Australian title in the 100m butterfly, stopping the clock at 50.77, to beat Olympian Tommaso D’Orsogna (50.80) and Grant Irvine (50.84).

West Australian Brianna Throssell (8:16.19) won her second gold medal in two nights, when she added the 800m freestyle to her 200m butterfly from night one in a thrilling duel with Olympian Jessica Ashwood (8:16.77) from Chandler while Katie Goldman (St Peters Western) took the bronze in 8:19.44.

In the Multi-Class finals 21-year-old Glasgow Commonwealth Games representative Madeleine Scott set an unofficial 50m butterfly world record time of 31.27 with 2012 Paralympic stars Maddison Elliott second in 33.98 and Jacqueline Freney third in 35.84.

The Multi-Class men’s 50m butterfly went to Hunter’s Hill’s Paralympian Timothy Antalfy in 24.60 from defending champion Mitch Kilduff (26.21) with Paralympic legend, local South Australian hero Matt Cowdrey third in 27.26.

The multi-class 200m individual medley title went to Katherine Downie from in a time of 2:32.57 with Freney back on the podium for second in 2:53.90 and Taylor Corry third in 2:33.04.

In the men’s 200m individual medley Joshua Alford won gold in 2:16.83 from Sean Russo (2:13.98) and Jacob Templeton (2:16.17).

Short Course Champions so far...
Men's 800m Freestyle: Matt Levings
Men's Multi Class 400m Freestyle: Rowan Crothers
Men's 200m Freestyle: Cameron McEvoy
Women's 200m Butterfly: Brianna Throssell
Men’s 50m Breaststroke Multi Class: Tim Disken
Women’s 50m Breaststroke Multi Class: Madeleine Scott 36.81
Men's 100m Backstroke: Mitch Larkin 49.25 CR/AR
Women's 100m Backstroke: Emily Seebohm 55.47 CR/AR
Men's 400m IM: Travis Mahoney
Women's 50m Breaststroke: Leiston Pickett
Women's 50m Butterfly Multi Class: Madeleine Scott
Men's 50m Butterfly Multi Class: Tim Antalfy
Men's 100m Breaststroke: Jake Packard
Men's 100m Butterfly: David Morgan
Women's 800m Freestyle: Brianna Throssell
Women's 200m IM Multi Class: Katherine Downie
Men's 200m IM Multi Class: Joshua Alford

Coming up tonight:

Women’s 100m Freestyle
A new short course sprint queen will be crowned tonight with Bronte Campbell (52.32), Emma McKeon (52.51) and Brittany Elmslie (52.75) all looking for women’s 100m freestyle title.  Campbell will go through as the hot favourite after clocking the quickest time from the semi-finals with McKeon and Elmslie both hot on her heels. 
 
Women’s 50m Butterfly
Both Emma McKeon (26.00) and Brittany Elmslie (26.06) will also contest the women’s 50m butterfly final tonight after finishing first and second respectively after the semi-finals. The title will be anyone’s for the taking with just 0.06 separating the pair. Marieke D’Cruz is also in the mix and will go through to the final ranked third in 26.22.
 
Men’s 50m Freestyle
The 200m Australian Shot Course Champion, Cameron McEvoy from Palm Beach Currumbin on the Gold Coast will be searching for his second national title tonight when he lines up for the final of the men’s 50m freestyle.  Also looking to take home the crown is crowd favourite and South Australian local Kyle Chalmers who is ranked second with a time of 21.75 as well Matthew Abood who will go through third in 21.82.
 
Women’s 100m Individual Medley
Just minutes after setting a new Commonwealth and Australian record in the final of the women’s 100m backstroke, Emily Seebohm backed up to qualify fastest for the final of the 100m individual medley in a time of 1:00.61. Seebohm will be joined in the final by Melbourne Vicentre’s Kotuku Ngawati in 1:00.75 and bronze medallist from the 100m back, Hayley Baker in 1:00.89.

Stay up to date online with information and results at http://www.swimming.org.au and with the hashtag #AUSSC

Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager 2014 Australian Swim Team, World Short Course Championships, Doha

Deputy Media Manager 2016 Australian Olympic Team, Rio
Media Manager, Surf Sports, SLSA
Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Media Manager 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
Media Manager, 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team