SWIMMING UNEARTHS ANOTHER NEW STAR WITH LONDON ON HIS MIND
MELBOURNE, September 21: Australia has unearthed yet another budding swim star in 22-year-old Matt Jaukovic (Sydney University) who tonight set a new Australian All-Comers record to win the men's 100m butterfly on night two of the Telstra Australian Short Course Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. IAN HANSON reports from poolside....
Jaukovic, 22, clocked a time of 50.37 seconds to take 0.34secs off two-time Olympian Geoff Huegill's record set in 2001 and is the sixth fastest time in history.
The time would have placed him third behind Slovenia's Peter Mankoc and Australia's Adam Pine at this year's FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester.
He set the pool alight and showed all the personality of a new star, smiling and waving to the crowd and his club mates after receiving his first Australian gold medal from Olympic 100m butterfly bronze medallist Andrew Lauterstein.
Born in Montenegro, Jaukovic first came to Australia in 1999 to visit his Sydney based aunty and uncle, coming back to swim on several occasions at Sydney University but finally to settle in 2005 after completing a foundation examination to start a double degree in economics and law.
The NSWIS scholarship holder became an Australian citizen last year and finished sixth in the 100 and eighth in the 50 metres butterfly at this year's Telstra Olympic Trials in Sydney.
"I swam on the Serbia and Montenegro Youth teams as a backstroker and only really concentrated on butterfly recently," Jaukovic said.
"I have concentrated on my studies over the past three years and have only really started training four times a week before increasing my work load to six and seven sessions.
"We have only started gym work over the past 12 months and I will now concentrate on swimming over the next couple of years.
"I actually hoped to swim 49 tonight but I'm happy with that time and now really looking forward to the 50 butterfly starting tomorrow."
THE WORLD ALL-TIME TOP TEN IS:
Ian Crocker (USA) 49.07 (WR)
Milorad Cavic (Serbia) 50.02
Peter Mankoc (Slovenia) 50.04
Adam Pine (Australia) 50.09
Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 50.10
Matt Jaukovic (Australia) 50.37
Lars Frolander (Sweden) 50.44
Evgeny Korotyshkin (Russia) 50.44
Ryo Takayasu (Japan) 50.55
Almeida Kaio (Brazil) 50.62
Paralympian star Matt Cowdrey has continued on his world record breaking ways, setting a new world mark in the multi-disability 50m butterfly, clocking a time of 27.15 - taking 0.04secs off his previous mark of 27.19.
His Beijing team mate Prue Watt chimed in with her own world mark in the women's 50m butterfly, clocking 31.13, from fellow Paralympian Teigan Van Roosmalen (31.95) and Hannah McDougall (34.86).
Van Roosmalen later won the 200m individual medley in 2:39.03 from Sharni Ross (NSW) 3:13.97 and Madeleine (Southlake Dolphins WA) 2:51.38 while in the men's final Patrick Donachie (Campbelltown, NSW) won the gold medal in 2:22.79, from Sean Russo (Revesby Workers, NSW) and Craig Morgan (Kinross Wolaroi, NSW).
The Paralympic team only arrived home from the Games on Saturday and they received a warm welcome from the crowd at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
In other events, former world record holder Jade Edmistone (Chandler, QLD) defended her 5t0m breaststroke title in a satisfying time of 30.56 to just hold off 2008 World Short Course silver medallist Sarah Katsoulis (Carey Aquatic Tritons) 30.69 and Kristy Morrison (Castle Hill RSL Dolphins, NSW) 31.17.
Edmistone, who is now coached at the Sleeman Aquatic Centre by Drew McGregor, recently spent a month out of the water after an operation and spent the time re-assessing her future after missing the Olympic team.
"That has just blown me away....I certainly did not expect that time after hardly any training," said Edmistone.
"While recuperating from my operation I had had plenty of time to think about the future, hence the change to Drew and we have already struck up a great partnership."
Here is a run down on tonight's other events....
Men's 100m backstroke
AIS-based Robert Hurley (Wests Illawarra, NSW) won his first Australian title in the 100m backstroke, clocking a time of 51.24, just outside his personal best with Daniel Arnamnart (Aquaburn, NSW) 52.75 second and Olympian Hayden Stoeckel (Norwood, SA) 52.88 third. Hurley won silver in the 400m freestyle and will continue his "iron man" program with the 50m backstroke, the 400m freestyle, the 100m freestyle, the 200m backstroke before the 1500m freestyle on the final day for "race practice."
Men's 400m individual medley
British Development Squad member Roberto Pavoni won the gold medal in 4:13.79 with Declan Potts (Norwood, SA) winning the National title in 4:15.24 from Shane Cross (SOPAC) 4:15.62 in a frantic finish.
Women's 100m backstroke
World Youth champion Grace Loh (Carey Aquatic Tritons, VIC) won her first National crown in 59.33 from Bridgette-Rose Taylor (Brothers, QLD) 59.88 with Amy Cockerton (Melbourne Vicentre VIC) taking the bronze in 59.92.
Women's 800m freestyle
City of Perth's 17-year-old Blair Evans broke through for her first National title with a comfortable win in the 800 metres freestyle in an encouraging personal best time of 8:27.84 from another emerging youngster Belinda Bennett (Nunawading, VIC) 8:33.95 with Luane Rowe (Willoughby) 8:34.54 third.
Men's 100m breaststroke
Olympic representative Christian Sprenger, who touched first, was disqualified for leaving the blocks before the starter's signal and was disqualified, handing the gold medal to AIS-based Albury swimmer Craig Calder (1:00.47) who just out-touched Karl Wurzer (Hobart Aquatic Club) 1:00.48 and Craig Tucker (City of Perth WA) 1:00.80.
In semi-final action.....
- Athens Olympic backstroker Marieke Guehrer (Melbourne Vicentre, Victoria) clocked a personal best time of 53.80 to comfortably win her semi-final of the women's 100m freestyle with Commonwealth Games 4x200m freestyle relay gold medallist Kelly Stubbins (Haileybury Waterlions, VIC) 54.67 and Ellen Fullerton (Pro-Ma Miami, QLD).
Guehrer later continued on her personal best trail, clocking the fastest qualifying time of 26.23 in the semi-finals of the women's 50m butterfly with Amy Smith (St Peters Western, QLD) the next fastest on 27.15 and Tegan Warrener (Warwick, QLD) 27.17.
- Last night's winner in the men's 200m freestyle Kyle Richardson (Commercial QLD) qualified fastest for the 50m freestyle final clocking 21.86 in front of Tom Miller (Cranbrook Eastern Edge, NSW) 21.92 and AIS scholarship holder Cameron Prosser (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 21.94.
- In the women's 100m individual medley World Short Course finalist Kristy Morrison (Castle Hill RSL Dolphins, NSW) held off the fast finishing teenagers to qualify fastest for the final in a time of 1.02.20.
- Gold Coast pocket rocket Ellen Fullerton (PRO-MA Miami, QLD) 1.02.24 backed up her night one win in the 400 individual medley to qualify second in front of fellow 15 year old Jessica Legge (Novocastrian, NSW) 1.02.33.
Fullerton will race the 100m freestyle and 100m individual medley finals on night three of the Championships and is looking at adding more medals after breaking the Australian record on night one.