World champion Dolphins to make splash in Sydney this week

  
Swimming Australia, November 23, 2015: The stars of Australia’s successful World Championship campaigns in Kazan and Glasgow this year will converge at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre this week for the 2015 Hancock Prospecting Australian Short Course Swimming Championships.

Action gets underway on Wednesday night, November 25 and continues for the following three days – culminating with the final session on Saturday night.

It will be an ideal opportunity for Sydneysiders to see current world champions Mitch Larkin, Emily Seebohm and Bronte Campbell in action as well as fellow individual medallists, 2013 world champion Cate Campbell, Jess Ashwood, Madi Wilson, Cam McEvoy and Ben Treffers.

Also in action will be IPC World Champions and world record holders, Ellie Cole and Tiffany Thomas-Kane.

Cole, who now trains in Sydney under coach Nathan Doyle was just named the 2015 Cosmopolitan Sportswoman of the Year and will race in the 50 and 100m Multi Class freestyle, the 100m Multi Class backstroke and the 100m Multi Class butterfly.

While rising star Thomas-Kane will take on a packed schedule when she competes in the 50 and 400m Multi Class freestyle, the 200m Multi Class individual medley, the 50 and 100m Multi Class breaststroke and the 50m butterfly.

Larkin is Australia’s latest dual world short course and world long course champion, having won the FINA World Short Course 100m backstroke title in Doha last December, before adding the prestigious long course crowns for 100 and 200m backstroke in Kazan, Russia in August.

The 22-year-old joins a who’s who of Australian swimmers, including Matt Welsh, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Geoff Huegill, Susie O’Neill, Sam Riley, Petria Thomas, Libby Trickett and Jade Edminstone who have all won the short course and long course world titles.

Larkin, Seebohm and Bronte Campbell stunned the world when they returned home with two individual gold medals – Larkin and Seebohm in both 100 and 200m backstrokes and Campbell in the 50 and 100m freestyle.

Larkin and Seebohm will both contest the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke, while Seebohm will also join the Campbell sisters and backstroke silver medallist Wilson in the 100m freestyle in opening heats session on Thursday morning.

Sydney-born Brisbane-based Jess Ashwood, a bronze medallist over 400m freestyle in Kazan, will return home to SOPAC and will be in action first up on Wednesday night in the women’s 1500m freestyle timed final.

The reigning Australian Long Course record holder for the 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle, who has blossomed under coach Vince Raleigh at Chandler will be looking to add the Australian short course record to her list of achievements.

The record stands at 15:45.89 to Ryde-Carlile’s Laura Crockhart, set in Sydney last year.

Ashwood cut a swathe through the long course records in her “break through” Championships in Kazan – re-writing the middle and distance records in the 400m (4:03.34); 800m (8:18.41) and 1500m freestyle events (15:52.17) – which should put the short course record very much under siege.

Come and cheer on #Ourteam LIVE, tickets are still available at www.swimming.org.au

LIVE STREAMING of the heats and finals will be available via the Australian Swim Team YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/swimmingaustralialtd

Stay up to date with results and information online via Twitter (https://twitter.com/DolphinsAUS) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SwimmingAustralia) with #AUSSC15

HIGHLIGHTS

WEDNESDAY, November 25 (Finals 6:30pm): Catch Kazan bronze medallist over 400m freestyle Jess Ashwood in the 1500m freestyle. The big question? Can she break the Australian record of 15:45.89?

THURSDAY, November 26 (Heats 10am – Finals 6pm): The best of both worlds could well collide with world champion freestylers Bronte and Cate Campbell up against world champion backstrokers Emily Seebohm and Madi Wilson in the women’s 100m freestyle with both Wilson and Seebohm also lining up in the 200m backstroke. Mitch Larkin will make his first appearance alongside Ben Treffers in the 50m backstroke while Pan Pacific champion Cam McEvoy will take on Tommaso D’Orsogna and Matt Abood in the men’s 100m freestyle. Jess Ashwood will also back up in the women’s 800m free.

FRIDAY, November 27 (Heats 10am – Finals 6pm): Jess Ashwood will take on the 400m freestyle in a who’s who of starters, including Olympians Kylie Palmer and Bronte Barratt, rising stars Emma McKeon, Brianna Throssell and Leah Neale, as well as Blair Evans, who will make her return to racing.

The 100m backstroke will see Kazan gold and silver medallists Emily Seebohm and Madi Wilson line up against new faces Hayley Baker and FINA Junior World Champion Minna Atherton and London Olympian Belinda Hocking, while Mitch Larkin will line up in the men’s 200m backstroke.

SATURDAY, November 28 (Heats 10am – Finals 6pm): Backstrokers Emily Seebohm and Madi Wilson (50m) and Mitch Larkin, Ben Treffers and Josh Beaver (100m) will take to the pool on the final evening along with Wilson joining training partner Emma McKeon, Olympic relay gold medallists, Kylie Palmer, Bronte Barratt and Brittany Elmslie in the 200m freestyle.

In the men’s splash and dash, Cam McEvoy will take on Kazan team mate Matt Abood, rising star Te Haumi Maxwell and visiting American William Copeland in the 50m freestyle.

Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
Hanson Media Group | P O Box 299 | West Burleigh Qld 4219
Phone: +61 7 5522 5556 | Mobile 0407 385 160 | Fax: +61 7 5522 5557 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.hansonsportsmedia.com.au