McEvoy chases slice of swimming history as “Gen Next” make their mark
Swimming Australia, November 29, 2015: Flying freestyler Cam McEvoy will be chasing a little slice of swimming history when he lines up in the men’s 50m freestyle final on the last night of the Hancock Prospecting Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney tonight.
The 21-year-old will be attempting to become only the second swimmer in Swimming Australia history to win the 50,100 and 200m freestyle short course titles.
Not since Seoul Olympian Tom Stachewicz completed the trifecta in 1988 has anyone taken the golden freestyle treble.
McEvoy is in career-best form, breaking his first Australian Open record last night, when he lowered Ian Thorpe’s 15-year National mark in the 200m, when he clocked 1:40.80.
It came after he won the 100m on the opening night in 46.31 and finished third over 400m in 3:41.66.
The 50, 100 and 200m freestyle have only been contested since 1982 when the 50m was added to the Short Course program – that year, Olympic relay gold medallist Neil Brooks won the 50 and 100m freestyle and his Brisbane Commonwealth Games team mate Graham McGufficke the 200m.
There will be significant chatter on pool deck tonight with the prodigy of the “Class of ’82 and ‘84” amongst the medal hopefuls.
Sons and daughters of three members of Australia’s Commonwealth Games team from 1982 – Ron McKeon/Susie Woodhouse, Michael Bohl and Greg Fasala/Ricki Binning and the Canadian team Alex Baumann will all be in action.
EMMA MCKEON, who has been one of the stars of the meet with wins in the 50 and 100m butterfly is the fastest qualifier in the 200m freestyle in 1:52.49. Brother DAVID MCKEON has already won silver in the 400m freestyle.
Emma looked comfortable as she touched just 0.09 off her own Australian and Commonwealth record in the event. Her training partners Bronte Barratt (1:55.28) and Madison Wilson (1:56.04) were second and third fastest respectively with Cate Campbell (1:56.11) the surprise packet fourth fastest through to the final.
GEORGIA BOHL, who is coached by father Michael, who produced a break through swim to win the 100m breaststroke in the third fastest time by an Australian is the fastest qualifier in the women’s 50m breaststroke in 30.28.
Bohl has taken confidence from her win earlier in the week and will swim tonight as the one to beat in the women’s 50m breaststroke final. Bohl will take top spot ahead of Leiston Pickett (30.49) and Sally Hunter (30.61).
CADE FASALA, was a member of the winning St Peters Western 4x100m freestyle relay team alongside Mitch Larkin, Cam Jones and Grant Irvine and he will line up in the breaststroke leg of tonight’s 4x100m medley relay as well.
ASHTON BAUMANN, who trains at TSS on the Gold Coast, and is representing Canada at this meet and is the fastest qualifier in the men’s 200m breaststroke in 2:07.78.
Add WILLIAM STOCKWELL, son of 1984 Olympians Mark Stockwell (AUS) and Tracey Caulkins (USA) who will anchor Commercial’s 4x100 medley relay and it rounds off an exciting “next generation” who are following in their parents footsteps.
Meanwhile showing absolutely no signs of slowing down, Emily Seebohm (26.68) will be looking for a trifecta of backstroke titles when she takes on the women’s 50m event tonight, swimming from lane four.
The 23-year-old already has both the 100 and 200m backstroke national short course titles to her name but will need to shake off her protégé and training partner Minna Atherton (26.89), who qualified just 0.21 of a second behind, to take the treble. SOPAC swimmer Marieke D’Cruz (26.98) was third through with Madison Wilson (27.38) fourth.
Australia’s latest world record holder Mitch Larkin will be chasing more records tonight after clocking 51.13 to be the fastest qualifier in the 100m backstroke.
Larkin, who set a new world record over 200m last night, holds the Commonwealth and Australian records at 49.25 while Nicholas Thoman of the USA holds the world mark at 48.94.
Fastest qualifier in the 40m individual medley is 400m freestyle winner Tom Fraser-Holmes in 4:04.96 with his London teammate Tommaso D’Orsogna (50.70) topping the qualifiers in the 100m butterfly.
After winning the 400m individual medley and equalling her Australian record in the event, Ellen Fullerton will be back in action tonight chasing the 200m IM crown.
Fullerton, who is training at Chandler under Rob Hindmarsh was the top ranked swimmer following the heats with a time of 2:09.12. Both Aisling Scott (2:09.55) and 100m IM winner Alicia Coutts (2:10.16) will also move through and will be hot on Fullerton’s heels tonight.
The women’s 200m butterfly will see world championship representatives Madeline Groves and Brianna Throssell go head to head in the final tonight. Groves posted an impressive heat time of 2:06.94 but don’t discount the fast finishing Throssell who will be looking to lower her 2:08.80 this evening. Korea’s An Sehyun was the third fastest qualifier.
Rising star Tiffany Thomas-Kane (1:39.81, 951 FINA points) has continued her run of success, moving through to the final of the women’s 50m Multi Class breaststroke as the top contender for the title. Thomas-Kane got the better of Madeleine Scott (1:20.53, 870 FINA points) and Paige Leonhardt (1:21.53, 839 FINA points) with all three in the mix for a medal tonight.
In the women’s 50m Multi Class butterfly final, Thomas-Kane (40.05, 913 FINA points) once again stepped onto the podium, this time in third place behind eventual winner Taylor Corry (30.35, 1106 FINA points) and Madeleine Scott (31.67, 996 FINA points).
In the men’s Multi Class events Grant Patterson (3:05.83) won gold ahead of Ahmed Kelly (3:02.10) in the 150m medley while Tim Antalfy won the 50m butterfly (24.89) ahead of Mitchell Kilduff (26.76) and Braeden Jason (27.07). Kelly will also take on the men’s 100m Multi Class breaststroke final tonight as the top ranked swimmer from the heats.
Finals will commence from 6:00pm AEDST.
LIVE STREAMING will be available via the Australian Swim Team YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtEJfnAJzdU
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