World Champion Dolphins head west for the Perth Aquatic Super Series

 

  
Swimming Australia, December 17, 2015: Australia’s 2015 FINA world champions Emily Seebohm, Bronte Campbell and Mitch Larkin will headline a host of big names and rising stars named today in the Australian Dolphins swim team for the 2016 Perth Aquatic Super Series on February 5 and 6.

Next year’s Series will see the Dolphins take on China and Japan over two nights at HBF Stadium in Perth as they compete for their country’s share in $90,000 of prize money. 

Joint Australian Swimmers of the Year, Seebohm and Campbell each won three gold and Larkin two as the Dolphins surged into second place on the medal tally at this year’s FINA World Championships in Kazan.

The momentum has continued with both Seebohm and Larkin dominating their respective backstroke events at the FINA World Cup series before Larkin and 2013 world champion Cate Campbell set two new world records at last month’s Australian Short Corse Championships in Sydney.

Joining swimming’s biggest names will be rookie breaststrokers Georgia Bohl (St Peters Western) and Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW), who will debut on the Dolphins senior team after their recent wins at the Australian Short Course Championships – Bohl over 100m and Wilson over 200m.

Wilson, just 16, won silver in the 200m breaststroke at this year’s FINA World Junior Championships in Singapore and was recently named the NSWIS Junior Athlete of the Year.

Bohl is the 18-year-old daughter of Olympic coach Michael Bohl, coach to dual world champion Larkin, and who will be one of the coaches on the team.

The St Peters Western pocket-rocket has just completed a gold medal week at the Queensland Championships, where she won the Open 100 and 200m breaststroke and the 17 and 18 years 100 and 200m breaststroke.

Keeping in the family traditions will be London Olympian David McKeon who is again joined on the team by sister Emma, who has also been in eye-catching form at the Australian Short Course Championships and Queensland titles.

The siblings were amongst a host of gold medal winners at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Also on the team will be freestyle sprint ace, Pan Pac champion and Kazan silver medallist in the 100m freestyle, Cam McEvoy, another Glasgow gold medallist Taylor McKeown; 1500m freestyle rising star Mack Horton and Perth local Brianna Throssell, who was fourth in the 200m butterfly in Kazan.

Swimming Australia Chief Executive Officer Mark Anderson says the Perth Aquatic Super Series will kick start a massive year of swimming for the Dolphins.

“Over the past three years the Perth Aquatic Super Series has continued to develop as a world class international swimming competition. As we head into an Olympic and Paralympic year this event will kick start one of the biggest swimming seasons yet for our Dolphins,” Anderson said

“All nations will be preparing for the Rio Olympics and with China and Japan competing, the event is going to provide spectators with world class racing.

“The Australian team will include some of Australia’s best swimmers such as Emily Seebohm, Cate & Bronte Campbell and Mitch Larkin who have achieved incredible success on the World Cup Circuit and at the recent Australian Short Course Championships where Cate and Mitch broke world records.

“It is a chance to witness the very best in action.”

Dolphins Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren agreed adding that this will form a foundation for 2016 swimming season, preparing his team for the big year head.

“Next year is the most important year on the swimming calendar for us so starting it early with the Perth Aquatic Super Series in February will form a fantastic platform for the team’s preparation and understanding of team process and routines,” Verhaeren said.

This will be the first time Perth local Throssell will race as part of the Perth Aquatic Super Series team and she says she is looking forward to competing at home for the first time.

Throssell said it would be a great opportunity to turn from spectator to competitor.

"For the past few years I have watched the Perth Aquatic Super Series from the stands and I am so proud to have been selected for the 2016 team. To compete with a home crowd watching is going to be incredible and I cannot wait to race,” Throssell said.

Seebohm agreed adding that she is excited to come back to Perth to compete.

“The Perth Aquatic Super Series is definitely one of my favourite competitions on the swimming calendar. There is always so much energy and fun associated with the competition and I am really excited to head back to Perth,” Seebohm said.

“Leading into an Olympic year this event will act as great platform to see where our racing is at as a team which is really important for the sport and it’s growth.”

Tickets are now on sale for the 2016 Perth Aquatic Super Series with children’s tickets starting from $16.00* and adults from $27.00* via Ticketmaster. For information on the event please visit the website www.aquaticsuperseries.com.au  

*Ticketmaster bookings fees apply

2016 Perth Aquatic Super Serious Australian Dolphins Swim Team will be finalised following the Victorian Swimming Championships:

Men:

Thomas Fraser-Holmes (Miami, QLD)

Jayden Hadler (Commercial QLD)

Mack Horton Melbourne Vicentre, VIC)

Justin James (Mackay, QLD)

Mitch Larkin (St Peters Western, QLD)

Cameron McEvoy (Bond, QLD)

David McKeon (Chandler, QLD)

David Morgan (TSS Aquatics, QLD)

Jake Packard (USC Spartans, QLD)

Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW)

 

Women:

Jessica Ashwood (Chandler, QLD)

Georgia Bohl (St Peters Western, QLD)

Bronte Campbell (Commercial, QLD)

Cate Campbell (Commercial, QLD)

Emma McKeon (St Peters Western, QLD)

Taylor McKeown (USC Spartans, QLD)

Keryn McMaster (Chandler, QLD)

Emily Seebohm (Brisbane Grammar, QLD)

Brianna Throssell (Perth City, WA)

Tessa Wallace (Caloundra, QLD)

Madison Wilson (St Peters Western, QLD)

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

Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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