Aussie swimmers relaxed and ready for Commonwealth Games Trials

 

  

 

Swimming Australia: February 27, 2018:  Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton along with a host of swimmers from across Australia descended on the Optus Aquatic Centre today for their last training session ahead of the 2018 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Trials, starting tomorrow, Wednesday February 28.

Chalmers will line up in the 200m freestyle on day one when he takes on defending champion Horton in the heats alongside Bond trio Cam McEvoy, Alex Graham and Elijah Winnington, Olympic finalist David McKeon (Griffith University), Dan Smith (Griffith University) and Jack Cartwright (St Peters Western).

 

Chalmers, still only 19, admitted he was stressed about swimming last year – dealing with who he was and what he had achieved in Rio in 2016.

 

Thursday will see him line up in one of the most anticipated 100m freestyle races in recent times with Chalmers (Marion) up against two-time world champion and 2012 Olympic silver medallist James Magnussen (Ravenswood); 2015 World Championship silver medallist McEvoy; Rio relay bronze medallist James Roberts (Somerset) and Cartwright (St Peters Western), the sprint find from 2017.

 

“This season I feel like I have been able to do my own thing, probably because I wasn’t racing last year. I feel a lot better about it; I’m excited about being with my squad up here and excited to race, which is something I probably wasn’t experiencing last year,” said Chalmers on the eve of the Trials which will see Australia name a team of over 70 athletes, including their Paralympic swimmers on Saturday night.

 

 “I knew there was a lot more pressure on me last year and I probably put that pressure on myself so now it’s just going back to basics and trying to prepare for my race; I know the way it works for me and swimming it my way.

 

“The pressure probably did get to me a little last year; it was probably my first competition experience since the Olympics.

 

“Rolling into Trials wasn’t the same as 2016 was for me. I had to try and adapt and I put more pressure on myself, like even going home and watching the TV news after that first day up in Brisbane there’s my face talking about competing always thinking about swimming and I probably got a bit stressed out.

 

“This year I don’t really care I’ve dealt with it and now I know what I have to do to stay in my head and do my own thing and not worrying about what everyone else expects of me.

 

“Up here Cam is at home and I want to see him swim well in front of his home crowd.

 

“I’m happy to have Maggie (James Magnussen) racing and back in the room he’s a funny dude. I hope he swims really well and I know what he can on the day, he has this huge presence about him. He’s definitely the alpha male in there.”

 

The women’s 100m freestyle, also on Thursday, one of the most anticipated finals of the Trials, will see former world champion and former world record holder Cate Campbell (Chandler) up against another world class field with sister Bronte Campbell and Shayna Jack (Chandler) and Madison Wilson (Bond) waiting in the wings.

 

It’s a race that has been won four times between 2013 and 2016 by Cate Campbell and last year by sister Bronte. Cate holds the Commonwealth, Australian and Australian All-Comers record at 52.06; is the 2013 World Champion and 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist while Bronte is the 2015 World Champion, McKeon, Elmslie and Seebohm have all played major roles in Australia’s 4x100m freestyle dominance since 2012.

 

Amongst the highlights of the opening night will be:

 

200M FREESTYLE - WOMEN

 

 

 

WithEmma McKeon (Griffith University) one of the finest 200m freestylers in the world with her Olympic bronze in 2016 and World Championship silver last year. She is the Commonwealth record holder at 1:54.83 and will be the girl to beat as she lines up in pursuit of her fifth straight Australian title in this event. Chasing her will be a highly talented group, all looking for a top three finish, led by rising tiger, Tasmanian taught Ariarne Titmus (SPW) who clocked a PB of 1:56.34 at this season’s Queensland Championships, the in-form Mikkayla Sheridan (USC Spartans), Olympians Madison Wilson (Bond) and Leah Neale ((USC Spartans) and the improving Shayna Jack (Chandler). Sprint queen Cate Campbell (Chandler) will only swim the heats “in case her country needs her for the 4x200m freestyle relay.”

 

FAST FACT: Emma McKeon’s father Ron was the Australian champion over 200m freestyle in 1977 and went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Edmonton in 1978.

 

 

 

100M BACKSTROKE – MEN

 

For Mitch Larkin (St Peters Western), the 2015 world champion, is sure to lead the charge in his first major meet under coach Dean Boxall - back in his “home” surrounds at SPW. Larkin has not put a foot wrong in this preparation and it’s good to see him with his mojo back. WA World Champs rookie Zac Incerti (UWA West Coast) and Victorian Olympian Josh Beaver (Northcote) will be out to put pressure on Larkin but will also have an eye on the clock and that tough A qualifying standard of 53.76. Teenagers Bradley Woodward (Mingara Aquatic) and Leon MacAlister (Carlile) have the chance to take their next big step. Both were impressive at the NSW Championships and look the goods for the future.

 

FAST FACT: If Zac Incerti is ever looking for inspiration, he switches on the video of one of Australia’s most famous gold medal wins, the Sydney Olympics “smash them like guitars” 4x100m freestyle relay victory over the USA.

 

200M BREASTSTROKE – MEN

 

The boy from the Blue Mountains Matthew Wilson (SOPAC) will be hunting for a hat-trick of titles and a place on his first Commonwealth Games after breaking through to make his first senior team for last year’s World Championships in Hungary and qualifying for his first major international final. Wilson will have to be right on his game, with his sights set on a personal best time which is just under the Games A qualifying time of 2:08.80. Wilson has been in outstanding form under NSW Technical Hub High Performance coach Adam Kable, winning both the Victorian and NSW State titles in the lead up. Others in the mix  will be Zac Stubblety-Cook (West Brisbane), George Harley (Breakers WA), 2017 World Champs debutant Daniel Cave (Melbourne Vicentre) and Alex Milligan (UWA West Coast).

 

FAST FACT: Keep an eye on 25-year-old 2016 Canadian Olympian Ashton Baumann (Griffith University), son of Canadian Olympic and Commonwealth Games legend Alex Baumann.

 

100M BACKSTROKE – WOMEN

 

Emily Seebohm (Brisbane Grammar) has been Australia’s dominant force over 100m backstroke for the past decade – building a portfolio of excellence when it comes to putting her reputation on the line as one of the world’s best.  But that doesn’t mean it gets any easier for the 2015 World Champion after 10 wins (the first one she shared with Tay Zimmer in 2007) from the last 11 Australian Championships. In fact this year will arguably be the toughest field she has faced since she broke through as a 14-year-old in 2007, with 30-year-old veteran Holly Barratt (Rockingham) and 16-year-old rising star and world junior record holder Kaylee McKeown (USC Spartans) book-ending a talented field.  It includes 2015 World Championship silver medallist Madison Wilson (Bond), World University Games gold medallist Sian Whittaker (Melbourne Vicentre), her Victorian club mate and 2015 World’s rep Hayley Baker, former World Junior champion Minna Atherton (Brisbane Grammar) and Amy Forrester (Bond). One false move, missed turn or slow start in this one and anything can happen. Will be one of the “do not miss” races of the Trials.

 

FAST FACT: When Emily Seebohm was just two years old, she accidentally fell in the family’s Brisbane backyard pool and her two older brothers Tom and Jack, saved her life, pulling her to safety with a broom handle.

Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Trials – The Selection of the Australian Swimming Team - #AusTrials2018

Proudly supported by Tourism and Events Queensland

When: February 28-March 3

Where: Optus Aquatic Centre

Heats: 11am – Livestreamed at https://www.swimming.org.au/LIVE-streaming.aspx

Finals: 7:15 – on Network Seven - Check local guides for details

Tickets: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=SWIMTRIA18

#AustraliaSwims