RECORDS TIPPED TO TUMBLE AS TEEN EYES TOP TIMES

Sydney, April 16:

The youth of Swimming Australia are learning how fast you need to race in the morning to ensure themselves a place in the finals session. Brooke Hanson Clarke reports....

Just like major international meets, we are seeing many personal bests in the morning as the grade to make the top ten cut gets tougher.

 Kukla (St Peters Western QLD) is a fine example. She came out firing in today's heats to post a quality performance as the fastest qualifier in the 13 years & under girls 100 metres freestyle, stopping the clock at 57.47.

The winner of two gold medals so far at these championships, she broke the Australian Age record in the 100m butterfly earlier in the meet and looked just as impressive today, turning at the 50m mark in 28.14 and coming home in 29.33.

The St Peters Lutheran College student will have a strong shot at another Australian Age record tonight which, currently stands at 57.14 set back in 2005.

Tonight's racing will also see World Championship rookie Ellen Fullerton vying for her third gold medal of the championships after a comfortable swim in the 16 years girls 200m freestyle.

Fullerton from Pro Ma Miami QLD cruised her four-lap swim clocking a time of 2.01.37, qualifying in first place ahead of Junior Pan Pac tam mate Belinda Bennett (Nunawading, VIC) 2.04.38.

Great Britain's World Championship team member Ellen Gandy (1.00.05) qualified fastest for the 17-18 years 100m butterfly ahead of Catlin Fletcher (Chandler, QLD) 1.01.94 and Phoebe Cater (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 1.02.45.

Gandy 2.21.46 backed up an hour later and qualified fifth for tonight's final of the 200m individual medley. The fastest qualifier was Caitlin Mitchell (Waterworx, QLD) in a time of 2.18.92 ahead of Amy Levings (Pro-Ma Miami) 2.19.72 and Tiffany Papaemanouil (Norwood, SA) 2.20.23.

Thomas Fraser-Holmes (Hunter, NSW) the winner of the 400m individual medley already at these championships, qualified first for tonight's final of the 17-18 years boys 200m individual medley in 2.06.24 ahead of Travis Mahoney (Nunawading) 2.06.78.

The boys 17-18 years 100m butterfly saw only 0.13 of a second dividing Grant Irvine (St Peters Western, QLD) 54.55 and Lachlan Staples (Kingswim, NSW) 54.68. Tonight's final is shaping up to be a great show down between the two inter-state rivals.

Mikkayla Maselli-Sheridan (Commercial, QLD) the winner of five gold medals so far at the 2009 Australian Age swam a comfortable race in the girls 14 years 400m freestyle qualifying fourth in a time of 4.30.31. The lead qualifiers are Jacqueline Keire of Canada 4.28.54, Elizabeth Stevenson (The Glennie, QLD) 4.30.02 and Stephanie Demestichas (Tigersharks, VIC) 4.30.27.

In the 14 years girls 50 metres freestyle Queensland duo Brittany Elmslie (Noosa, QLD) 26.93 and Bronte Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) 26.93 qualified equal second behind fastest qualifier Adelaide Hart (Applecross, WA) 26.88.

Hart, Elmslie and Campbell, the younger sister of Olympic 50m freestyle bronze medallist Cate Campbell, will have to swim a mistake free one lap dash to win the gold medal tonight.

Hart posted a massive personal best time of 26.88 in the heats and will head into tonight's final with a slight edge over Elmslie and Campbell.

Regan Leong (Townsville Marlins, QLD) the winner of three gold medals this week has qualified in lane four in the final of the 13 years & under 200m butterfly. Leong's time of 2:16.22 puts him two seconds faster than the rest of tonight's field.

Second qualifier is Isaac Jones (Warrnambool, VIC) 2.18.55 and in third is Jacob Hansford (Bankstown Sports, NSW) 2.19.02. Leong 54.40 will also race the 100m freestyle final after also qualifying in first place.

Te Haumi Maxwell (MLC Marlins, NSW) posted a slick heats time In the 14 years boys 50m freestyle. Maxwell clocked 23.98 almost one second ahead of his nearest competitor to qualify in lane four. Tonight Maxwell will be racing against the clock as he aims to break his own Australian Age record that stands at 23.98 to win his second gold medal of the meet.

The fastest qualifier in the boys 16 years 200m freestyle is Justin James from Mackay QLD (1.54.71). James the winner of this event at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic festival is going for his second gold medal of the week after winning the 100m freestyle on night one.

Zach Featherstone (Southport Olympic, QLD) 4:12.55 has qualified first for the final of the 14 years 400m freestyle. Featherstone is looking to win his third gold medal of the championships to add to his medal tally of two gold and one silver so far.

Australian Youth Olympic medallist Jessica Legge (Novocastrian, NSW) 2.37.90 and Junior Pan Pac medallist Samantha Marshall (Cook and Phillip, NSW) 2.38.56 have qualified first and second for the final of the girls 16 years 200m breaststroke.

In the boys 16 years 200m breaststroke Liam Kinneally (Brisbane Jets, QLD) the silver medallist in the 100m breaststroke qualified in lane four for tonight's final. Kinneally will race the inform Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar School) 2.26.61 who is looking to win his fourth gold of the championships in tonight's final.

Jayden Hadler (Commercial, QLD) 4:34.35 qualified first in the final of the 15 years boys 400m individual medley. Hadler the winner of three gold from three swims wont have it all his own way with tough competition from Mitch Larkin (Brisbane Jets, QLD) 4.39.67 the winner of the 200m backstroke at these championships.

Other fastest qualifiers for night four finals include: 15 years girls 100m backstroke Canadian Chantel Vanlandeghem (1.04.39) and Whitney Ireland (Norwood, SA) 1.04.59, 15 years boys 100m backstroke Cooper Rogers (City of Perth, WA) 1.0013, 13 years & under 200m butterfly Emma Niere (Blue Fin Aquarius, VIC) 2.20.97, 15 years 400m individual medley Keryn McMaster (Brisbane Jets, QLD) 4.56.80, 14 years girls 100m breaststroke Kate Dimou (Chandler, QLD) 1.14.76 and the 14 years boys 100m breaststroke Jake Packard (Noosa, QLD) 1.08.06.

Full results of Day 4 heats can be found in the results section of the Swimming Australia website at http://www.swimming.org.au/

Day Four finals begin at 6pm at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.