WORLD RECORD UNDER CLOUD AS AUSSIE OLYMPIANS SET UP FINALS SHOWDOWNS
Sydney, March 17
Sweden’s Therese Alshammar broke her own world record under controversial circumstances in the 50m butterfly at the Telstra Australian Swimming Championships this morning as day one heats action took centre stage at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Alshammar, who touched the wall in 25.44 to go under her own world mark set in 2007, wore “what appeared to be” two swimsuits during the race, which goes against a new Swimming Australia by-law, stipulating only one suit may be worn at one time in competition.
The 31-year-old four-time Olympian is now based in Sydney and swimming at the NSWIS International Training Centre.
“It’s been a big couple of months in Australia. It’s amazing, the best place in the world for swimming,” said Alshammar, who didn’t take a single breathe over the 50m dash.
Alshammar is hoping to defend her 50m butterfly crown at the world championships in Rome, where she contested her first world titles in 1994.
Swimming Australia officials are currently deliberating over the issue.
Meanwhile Olympian Megan Nay (St Peter’s Western QLD) led the way in the women’s 200m freestyle heats (1.58.53) to be the fastest qualifier for tonight’s final, closely followed by two-time Olympian Felicity Galvez (1.58.98 - SOPAC NSW) rising star Ellen Fullerton (1.59.12 PRO-MA Miami QLD) and double Olympic champion Stephanie Rice (1.59.23 - St Peter’s Western QLD).
Bronte Barratt (Albany Creek QLD), Olympic champion in the 200m freestyle relay, has also made the final, with Kelly Stubbins (Haileybury Waterlions), Merindah Dingjan (Southside Wesley WA) and Jade Neilsen (PRO-MA Miami QLD) rounding out the field for what is sure to be a hotly contested event for the six available spots on the Telstra Dolphins world championship team.
Rice backed up after her 200m freestyle swim to qualify fourth fastest for the final of the 200m IM (2.16.10) and will be hoping to take out the event in which she is world record holder and Olympic champion.
“I was pretty nervous before the free just because it’s the first race and you never know really how you’re going to go, and how you’re going to feel,” said Rice of her first heat of the day. “It was good to get that one out of the way and blow out the cobwebs, and it felt a lot more relaxed for the IM. I’m looking forward to tonight and just seeing how it goes.”
Joining Rice in the IM final is Chelsea Carpenter (Nunawading VIC), who had the fastest swim this morning (2.15.62), Olympian Emily Seebohm (2.15.87 - Brothers QLD), Fullerton (2.15.98 - PRO-MA Miami QLD) who like Rice is contesting the two finals, and Olympic breaststroker Sally Foster (2.16.37 - Central Aquatic WA).
Nick D’Arcy opened his campaign this morning with a slick 1.57.65 in the heats of the men’s 200m butterfly to go into tonight’s final as the fastest qualifier. D’Arcy (Maroochydore QLD) will be hoping to swim a fast time to give him the chance to compete in Rome.
“I did have a couple nerves and couple of reservations coming into this meet and they’re still there to the main extent,” acknowledged the 21-year-old. “But that [swim] gives me a lot of confidence and makes me more optimistic than not. I want to come in tonight and swim a really good race and get a time that’s pretty respectable internationally.”
Lining up alongside D’Arcy is Commonwealth Youth Games representative Lachlan Staples (Kingswim NSW), last year’s bronze medallist Christopher Wright (Commercial QLD), and Declan Potts (Norwood SA).
Also in finals action on night one is world short course representative Robert Hurley (West Illawarra NSW) and Junior Pan Pac star Ryan Napoleon (St Peter’s Western QLD) in the men’s 400m freestyle, the event previously dominated by the likes of Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Craig Stevens.
Hurley, who took bronze in the event last year, will be looking to step up and take his first national title, but will face strong competition from Napoleon, Olympian Patrick Murphy (Melbourne Vicentre VIC), and Theodore Pasialis (SOPAC NSW).