JONES BY-PASSES ROME TO BOOK LONDON FOR 2012

Sydney, March 21: Leisel Jones will pass the World Championship baton on to team mates Tarnee White and Sarah Katsoulis after confirming her unavailability for this year's Rome meet, despite winning her ninth 100m breaststroke National title at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre tonight.

Jones, 23, has only been beaten once in a National 100m final since barnstorming her way on to the Australian Olympic team in 2000 and has accumulated 19 National titles ioverall n a stellar career she wants to continue to build on. Ian Hanson and Maggie Ellis Report...

But despite clocking the fastest time in the world this year (1:06.10) at the Telstra Australian Championship she won't be joining her Telstra Dolphins team mates on the plane to Italy.

Jones will keep training and studying a beauty therapy course, a plan based on longevity in the sport which has seen her become a superstar.

"Not going to Rome will certainly keep me in the sport a lot longer," Jones said.

"I've really surprised myself off very limited training. I think that engine is certainly still burning so it's good news for the future.

"I'm really committed to my beauty school at the moment and I'm really enjoying it. I want to set up my own day spa with Thalgo, probably at the end of next year. I'm still studying, giving people manicures and pedicures.

"It is still three years away for London. This meet we've really been able to look outside the box and see what we can do with training so I think by missing Rome it's really helped me stay in the sport longer. The next step is looking to Delhi and Commonwealth Games."

Other highlights saw Ashley Delaney (Nunawading., VIC) become only the fourth swimmer to win the National backstroke treble; Andrew Lauterstein (SOPAC, NSW) just miss his Commonwealth record in the 100m butterfly, clocking 51.13; Beijing relay golden girl Bronte Barratt (Albany Creek, QLD) grab a berth on the team for Rome in the 400m freestyle, as did Gold Coast rookie Ellen Fullerton.

 

Maggie Ellis reviews all tonight's action....

WOMEN'S 100M BREASTSTROKE: Olympic champion Leisel Jones (Nunawading, VIC) won her ninth National title in the women's 100m breaststroke in 1.06.10, easily the fastest time in the world this year, but the world record holder will not contest the event at the World championships in Rome. Focusing on her beauty therapy studies this year, Jones has emphasised dry-land training with a reduced workload in the pool. Second place went to dual Olympian, her former training partner Tarnee White (Chandler, QLD) who touched just behind Jones in 1.06.99. Winner of the 50m earlier in the meet, Jones' current training partner Sarah Katsoulis (Nunawading, VIC) finished third in 1.07.01, just 0.01 outsider her personal best but under the A qualifying time.

 

MEN'S 100M BACKSTROKE: Olympic finalist Ashley Delaney (Nunawading, VIC) took out gold in the men's 100m backstroke showdown in 53.28 to complete the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke treble at these championships - becoming the fourth swimmer in Australian swimming history to achieve the feat. Delaney joins fellow Olympians Matt Welsh (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005), Steve Dewick (1996) and Simon Upton (1989) as the only four swimmers to win the treble. Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Stoeckel (Norwood, SA), the fourth fastest man in history in the event, won silver in 53.98 to pick up the second individual swim in Rome alongside Delaney. In third place was AIS-based 400m freestyle champion Robert Hurley (Wests Illawarra Aquatic, NSW) in 54.56.

 

WOMEN'S 400M FREESTYLE: In the women's 400m freestyle Olympian Bronte Barratt (Albany Creek, QLD) pulled out a body length lead at the 300m mark and held on to win gold in 4.08.59. A relieved Barratt, who won gold as part of the women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay in Beijing, booked her spot on the World championship team after under-performing in her other events at this meet.  Silver went to Pro-Ma Miami's Ellen Fullerton in a personal best time of 4.09.06 (eighth fastest time by an Australian) to gain her first individual swim in Rome after winning bronze in the 200m IM and 200m freestyle earlier this meet. Winner of last night's 800m freestyle, 17-year-old Blair Evans (City of Perth, WA) finished third in 4.09.72.

 

MEN'S 200 IM: Olympian and defending champion Leith Brodie (Albany Park, QLD) put the accelerator down over the final lap to win the men's 200m IM in a new PB of 1.59.73. The time just missed Ian Thorpe's six year old Australian record of 1.59.66, and Brodie will be looking to take that record for himself at the World championships in Rome. In a close finish behind Brodie, emerging talent Tommaso D'Orsogna (West Coast, WA) took out the silver medal in 2.01.43, just missing the A-qualifying time for Rome. Bronze went to last night's 800m champion Stephen Parkes (St Peters Western, QLD) in 2.01.56.

 

WOMEN'S 200M BACKSTROKE: The in-form AIS-based Belinda Hocking (Albury, NSW) won the women's 200m backstroke in 2.08.85, the Beijing finalist leading from start to finish to record her second fastest ever time. Olympian and 200m freestyle champion Meagen Nay (St Peters Western) came home strong over the final lap take silver, touching in 2.09.90. Winner of the 50m earlier in the night, Olympian Sophie Edington (Unattached, QLD - 2.13.79) took the bronze in 2.11.68.

WOMEN'S 50M BACKSTROKE: Defending champion and Olympian Sophie Edington (Unattached, QLD) steamed down the pool to win the women's 50m backstroke to set the fastest time in the world this year at 27.89. Edington, the current world record holder in the event, secured a place on the FINA World Championship team bound for Rome with the win. Emily Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) who won the 100m earlier in the week, came home to collect silver with a time of 28.17, and bronze went to Olympian Belinda Hocking (Albury, NSW) in 28.30.

 

MEN'S 100M BUTTERFLY: Olympic bronze medallist Andrew Lauterstein (SOPAC, NSW) went within 0.01 of his Australian and Commonwealth record in winning the men's 100m butterfly in a stunning swim, hitting the wall in 51.13. Lauterstein's time is the quickest in the world so far in 2009. Three-time Olympian Adam Pine (Ginninderra, NSW) flew over the final metres to claim second position in 52.24, the 33-year-old gaining a place on his sixth world championship team. Bronze went to Sydney University's Matt Jaukovic rounding out an all-NSWIS podium in 25.56.

 

WOMEN'S 50M FREESTYLE: World record holder and dual Olympian Libby Trickett (SOPAC, NSW) charged down the pool to win the women's 50m freestyle in 24.23, the fastest time in the world this year. The win completed the 50m - 100m double at these championships for Trickett. Silver went to Olympic bronze medallist Cate Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) who stayed close to Trickett the whole way and touched in 24.70. In third position was 50m butterfly Australian record holder Marieke Guehrer (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) in 24.87.

 

MEN'S 50M BREASTSTROKE: AIS-based Brenton Rickard (Brothers, QLD) won the men's 50m breaststroke in 27.68, just a shade outside his Commonwealth and Australian record of 27.30.The Olympic silver medallist in the 100m held off a fast finishing Christian Sprenger (Commercial, QLD), the two competitors duelling it out over all three breaststroke events at this meet. Olympian Sprenger touched in 27.89 ahead of Tasmania's Karl Wurzer (The Hobart Aquatic Club, TAS) who took bronze in 28.88.

 

WOMEN'S 50M BREASTSTROKE MULTI-DISABILITY: Paralympian Prue Watt (Nunawading, VIC - S13) won gold in the women's 50m breaststroke Multi-disability, hitting the wall in 38.33. Silver went to Sarah Bowen (Geelong City Aquatic, VIC - S6 - 49.41), and rounding out the podium was Madeleine Scott (Southlake Dolphins, WA - S9 - 41.50) 

 

MEN'S 50M BREASTSTROKE MULTI-DISABILITY: Paralympic silver medallist Blake Cochrane (Southern Cross) smashed the world record in the men's 50m breaststroke for the S8 classification, stopping the clock in 37.94 to take gold. The silver medal was won by Jeremy Tidy (Nunawading, VIC - S10 - 34.9), and bronze went to Jeremy McClure (West Coast, WA - S12 - 35.88).

 

WOMEN'S 4 x 100M FREESTYLE RELAY: The SOPAC Swim Club (NSW) team of Libby Trickett, Felicity Galvez, Andrea Patrulescu and Jessica Ashwood smashed the club record in the women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay, setting a new mark of 3.42.90 in taking gold. Close behind was Nunawading (VIC) (Shayne Reese, Belinda Parslow, Sarah Katsoulis, and Belinda Bennet), who took the silver in 3.45.41, with bronze going to the Pro-Ma Miami (QLD) team of Jade Nielsen, Amy Levings, Kelly Marquenie, and Ellen Fullerton in 3.46.39.

 

 WOMEN'S 400M FREESTYLE MULTI-DISABILITY: In the 400m freestyle Multi-disability final Nerice Holland (Chandler, QLD - S14) won gold with a stunning swim, touching in 4.46.69.The daughter of former 1500m world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Stephen Holland, was on world record pace through the 300m mark, falling just short at the end. Silver went to Kayla Clarke (Woogaroo, QLD - S14) in 5.01.52, and bronze to Teneal Houghton (Revesby Workers, NSW - S15) in 4.49.84.