AUSTRALIA GRABS FIVE MORE GOLD IN THE POOL

Sydney January 16:  The Australian Flippers set the pool alight on night two finals of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre last night.

It was a sensational night of racing with Australia dominating by winning a total of 14 medals, five of them gold. The AYOF Aussie gold medallists include Luke Kerswell, Leiston Pickett, Kenneth To and the women's and men's Australian Gold and Green 4x200m freestyle relay teams.Brooke Hanson reports...

Starting the night off was the women's 100m freestyle with a dead heat for the silver medal between Australians Kelly Marquenie and Phoebe Cater (57.60), both finishing behind Japan's Mao Kawakami (56.92).

The men's 100m freestyle saw an Australian trifecta with Luke Kerswell, (51.35) taking out the blue ribband event ahead of team-mates James Roberts (51.52) and James Sweeney (51.95).

Both the women's and men's 100m breaststroke didn't disappoint with Leiston Pickett and Kenneth To holding off their opposition over the final ten metres of the race.

A fast finishing Pickett (1.10.14) swam a personal best time and broke the AYOF record just touching out Canadian swimmers Marie Jean-Lachapelle (1.10.17) and Chelsey Salli (1.10.27).

After the race the 16-year-old Gold Coast swimmer was thrilled with her result.

"That was a personal best time for me and to win the gold medal by 0.03 of a second and break the festival record is great," Pickett said.

"I have been working really hard on my speed with coach Glenn Baker at Southport and tonight's swim is so encouraging.

"I'm really looking forward to swimming at the world championship trials in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, my aim is to continue to improve and make an Australian open team."

In the men's 100m breaststroke 16- year- old Australian Kenneth To (1.04.38) led from start to finish to win the gold medal.

To fought all the way to the finish holding off a strong surge from Japan's Masaya Kano (1.04.54). With To's team-mate Nicholas Schafer (1.05.18) claiming the bronze medal.

Japan proved to strong in the 400m individual medley taking out both the women's and men's races. In the women's 14-year-old Miyu Otsuka (4.43.72) smashed the AYOF record ahead of Australians Katie Goldman (4.47.57) and Jessica Legge (4.52.64).

The men's was a closer encounter with another Japanese 14-year-old Daiya Seto (4.26.09) holding off fast finishing Aussie Mitchell Larkin (4.26.80).

Larkin broke the Australian 15-year-old record by almost two seconds previously held by Ephraim Hannant (4.28.66) set back in 2004.

Larkin looks to follow in his father's footsteps by making an Australian open swim team. His father Peter Larkin represented Australia in Rugby Union.

"It's tough competition but I knew I had to focus on my race and just go for it, it's a huge PB so breaking the record is just great" an excited Larkin said.

The final gold medal winning swims of the night came in the finals of the 4x200m freestyle relays with the Australian teams taking out the gold medals in both the women's and men's events.

Team Australian gold (8.19.04) took out the women's event ahead of Canada (8.24.85) with Australia green collecting the bronze medal (8.25.22).

The men took inspiration from the girls with Australia green (7.31.34) fighting all the way to the finish taking home the gold ahead of Canada (7.31.95) and Japan (7.42.72).