Seebohm adds silver and bronze to Australia’s medal tally

 

Swimming Australia, Dember 7, 2014: Brisbane’s dual Olympic gold medallist Emily Seebohm has continued her stunning debut into the realms of the Fina World Short Course Swimming Championships in Doha with two more medals on the third night of competition.

The 22-year-old took her medal tally to three when she added another silver medal in the 200m backstroke to match her night two silver in the 100m backstroke before claiming bronze in the 100m individual medley.

 

And it seems everywhere that Emily goes in these Championships so does Hungarian super swimmer Katinka Hosszu.

 

The 25-year-old Fina Swimmer Of The Year has won the gold in all three of Seebohm’s races – and all three in world record times.

 

But Seebohm has not been afraid to get in and mix it and race the “The Iron Lady” of the pool in this her first attempt at a World Short Course Championship meet.

 

She charged to her second silver medal in the 200m backstroke, clocking one of the fastest times ever recorded in the process and 15 minutes later was back in the water in the medley.

 

“Being my first World Short Course I didn’t really know what to expect and I’m over the moon with my results,” said Seebohm.

 

“I haven’t done that much short course racing; I’m more of a long course swimmer so it’s fun to come here and deal with all the pressures that go with a big meet like this; I didn’t really expect to swim this fast so to keep improving is awesome.”Seebohm led out for the first 50m of the 200m to again set up a thrilling duel with Hosszu, who took control in the second 50m, splitting 58.36 to Seebohm's 59.16.But the determined Australian wasn't going away as Hosszu sped to a new world record of 1:59.23 - the first woman under two minutes with Seebohm in hot pursuit, setting new Commonwealth and Australian records of 2:00.13.Only Hosszu and previous world record holder, Olympic champion Missy Franklin have swum faster.Australia's Madi Wilson put up a great fight in the third 50m to challenge for the bronze before finishing fifth in 2:02.67.

 

And in next to no time Seebohm was back in the pool, again with Hosszu waiting for her in the 100m individual medley final.

 

Only this time Hosszu and Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor stood ahead of her on the dais as the Hungarian blasted her own world record, stopping the clock at 56.86; O’Connor at 57.83 and Seebohm in a personal best of 58.19.

 

Meanwhile earlier in the night a brave Bronte Campbell missed bronze by just 0.18 after setting a cracking pace in a thrilling 100m freestyle final.

 

Campbell, 20, clocked a personal best time of 51.65 - making her only the fourth Australian to swim under 52 seconds - with world record holder Libby Trickett (51.01) and her sister Cate (51.31) ever swimming quicker.

 

"I couldn't be happier even if I'd won the race,” admitted Campbell, “It was my first time under 52 seconds…and I honestly couldn’t be happier..I can't wait for the 50m."

 

The men’s 400 metres freestyle final saw Miami Podium Centre pair Jordan Harrison and Dan Smith finish fifth and eighth respectively in personal best times; Harrison in 3:39.11 and Smith in 3:39.63.

 

It was Harrison’s first appearance at these Championships and he will now set himself for a tilt at the 1500 metres against the likes of Olympic gold medallist Oussama Meloulli and Canadian Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ryan Cochrane.

 

The boys were no match for the winner, Hungary’s Peter Bernek who  broke Grant Hackett’s 15-year-old Championship record  set in Hong Kong in 1999 – the Hungarian 22-year-old  clocking 3:34.32 – taking 0.69secs off Hackett’s then world record time.

 

But they have age on their side and enormous futures as they set themselves for next year’s World Championships in Kazan and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

 

Ironically Hackett is back at Miami training alongside Harrison, Smith and another boom youngster in Commonwealth Games and  Pan Pac 200m freestyle gold medallist Tom Fraser-Holmes.

 

Meanwhile Beijing Olympian Sally Hunter has marched through to the 100m breaststroke final with the fourth fastest time, clocking a new personal best of  1:04.23 in her semi-final.

 

And in another slick swim Pan Pac 100m freestyle gold medallist Cam McEvoy finished sixth in the 50 metres freestyle final in 21.15 – a race that saw powerfully built Frenchman Florent Manaudou stop the clock in an extraordinary new world record time of 20.26secs.

 

New world champion in the 100m backstroke, Mitch Larkin, will contest the final of the 50m on night four after qualifying sixth in 23.33, and he too will face the wraith of that man Manaudou (22.97) and Olympic champion Matt Grevers (23.27).

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