Emily’s record run continues at Queensland Championships
Swimming Australia, December 15, 2015: Dual backstroke world champion Emily Seebohm has capped her breakthrough year in style, setting a new Australian and Queensland All-Comers record to win the 100m backstroke at the Queensland State Championships tonight.
The 23-year-old came from behind with a powerhouse final lap to swim away from the field to clock the new record time of 58.70 - the fastest time ever swum by a female in Australia.
World Championship silver medallist to Seebohm in Kazan this year, Maddi Wilson (St Peters Western) finished second in 59.09 with Seebohm’s club mate from Brisbane Grammar, World Junior Champion, Minna Atherton third in 59.69.
Atherton’s time was also a new Australian and Queensland 15 years All-comers record – capping a special night for coach David Lush.
Seebohm has consistently swum under 59 seconds all year from the Fina World Championships in Kazan, where she won the 100-200m backstroke double through to her successful Fina World Cup campaign.
She was out in 29.00 and split 29.70 over the final 50m to snatch the victory.
Men’s world champion Mitch Larkin gave the Aaron Piersol’s long-standing Australian All-Comers record a real nudge, stopping the clock at 53.04 in another powerhouse performance.
Larkin’s time was just 0.06secs outside Piersol’s time of 52.98, set at the Fina World Championships in Melbourne in 2007
The night also saw former world champion Cate Campbell sizzle in the 100m freestyle – claiming the gold in 52.84 – just 0.02 outside her bronze medal winning time from Kazan this year, with reigning world champion, sister Bronte sitting in the stands nursing an inflamed hip.
Second to Campbell tonight was last night’s 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly Emma McKeon in 53.93 with Brittany Elmslie an encouraging third in 54.37.
The men’s 100m freestyle saw Cam McEvoy just missing the magical 48 seconds barrier, winning the title in 48.01 from South Australia’s World Junior Champion Kyle Chalmers (48.69) just a touch outside his best of 48.47.
London Olympian Tommaso D’Orsogna finished third in 49.64 and his 2012 team mate James Roberts, very much on the comeback trail an encouraging fourth in 50.24.
Chandler’s World Championship bronze medallist Jess Ashwood showed all her class and experience to win gold in the 400m freestyle, with a perfectly timed final 100m, in a time of 4:05.96.
Barratt, the bronze medallist over 200m at the Olympics in 2012, led through the first 300m with Boyle in hot pursuit, but Ashwood proved too strong over the closing stages with Barratt second in 4:07.15 and Boyle, who is training at Miami with Denis Cotterell third in 4:08.39.
London Olympian David McKeon from Chandler looked strong in the men’s 400m freestyle to score a comfortable win in a time of 3:48.37 from 20-year-old training partner Jack McLoughlin (3:49.45) with World 10km champion Jordan Willimovsky (USA) third in 3:50.33.
McKeon’s gold makes it three wins to the McKeon sibblings, with sister Emma winning gold in the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle last night.
The women’s breaststroke saw St Peter’s Western’s rising star Georgia Bohl continue her recent breakthrough form, winning the 100m title in 1:07.62.
Bohl last month won her first National title, when she won the 100m breaststroke at the Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney.
Tonight she left behind Commonwealth Games gold medallists Leiston Pickett (2nd) 1:07.69 and Taylor McKeown (5th) 1:08.38
Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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