OLYMPIAN HOCKING ON TARGET FOR RECORD

Sydney, April 17: Olympian Belinda Hocking narrowly missed her own Australian record during this morning's heats on day five of the 2009 Australian Age Championships. Whilst thirteen year old Yolane Kukla continued her fast form in the 50 metres freestyle as further records are set to be broken on night five at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Brooke Hanson Clarke reports....

World Championship team members Belinda Hocking, Emily Seebohm and Ellen Fullerton looked impressive as they continue to use every race as a hit out in the lead up to the Rome World Championships.

Hocking qualified eight seconds ahead of her nearest competitors in the girls 17-18 years 200m backstroke and will be racing the clock in tonight's final. Hocking's time of 2.09.19 was 0.39 off her own Australian record of 2.08.85 set three weeks ago at the Telstra Australian Championships.

Seebohm decided to take the pressure off herself and swim every stroke but her main stroke backstroke this week.  Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) 1.01.74 qualified fastest in the 16 years girls 100m butterfly ahead of Zoe Johnson (Sydney Swim PLC, NSW) 1.02.09.

In the 16 years girls 200m individual medley Fullerton from Pro Ma Miami QLD looked comfortable qualifying in first place in 2.17.23 ahead of Miami team mate Katie Goldman 2.19.94 the winner of two silver and one bronze so far and Aisling Scott (Albany Creek, QLD) 2.21.17 also the winner of two silver and one bronze at this week's Australian Age championships.

Meanwhile in the 13 years & under girls 50m freestyle Yolane Kukla of St Peters Western QLD, continued her great form after her record breaking 100m freestyle last night. Kukla posted the fastest qualifying time of 26.28 ahead of Georgia Miller (Warringah Aquatic, NSW) 27.16 and Brianna Throssell (Kalamunda, WA) 27.36.

Kukla the winner of three gold medals so far at these championships has already broken Australian Age records in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, tonight she will have a shot at her own record in 50m final which currently stands at 25.35.

Norwood's Ben Edmonds is the fastest qualifier for tonight's final of the 17-18 years boys 200m backstroke. Edmonds clocked a time of 2.03.80 and will be pushed tonight by Great Britain's Roberto Pavoni 2.03.82 who qualified 0.02 behind Edmonds.

Mikkayla Maselli-Sheridan (Commercial, QLD) the winner of six gold medals so far at the 2009 Australian Age swam a comfortable race in the girls 14 years 100m backstroke qualifying second in a time of 1.05.87. Maselli-Sheridan wont have it all her own way tonight with Madison Wilson (St Peters Western, QLD) 1.05.76 clocking a personal best time in this morning's heats qualifying first for tonight's final.

Maselli-Sheridan then backed up for the 400m individual medley heats clocking a time of 5.02.59 to qualify in first place six seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

In the 16 years boys 100m butterfly James Argiro (Nunawading, VIC) 56.16 qualified first ahead of Djaran Smith (Macksville Marlins, NSW) 56.87 with Kenneth To (Trinity Grammar School, NSW) 2.08.63, already the winner of four gold medals this week, qualified third. To then backed up to qualify fastest for the final of the 16 years boys 200m individual medley, tonight he will be looking to add two more gold's to his medal tally of four gold, one silver and one bronze.

In tonight's final of the 13 years & under boys 50m freestyle Regan Leong (Townsville Marlins, QLD) 25.01 will be racing for his sixth gold of the championships qualifying in lane four. With only a few one hundredths separating the top two Leong will have tough competition from Alex Press (TSS Aquatics, QLD) 25.03 who qualified second and Alex Brock (Port Pirie, SA) 26.08 third.

Tessa Wallace (Pelican Waters Caloundra QLD) continued her dominance of the breaststroke events in the heats of the 15 years girls 200m breaststroke qualifying first in a comfortable heat swim of 2.39.39

Matt Sterrenberg (Ivanhoe Neons, VIC) 1.58.10 is looking at winning his first individual gold medal tonight in the 15 years boys 200m freestyle after silver in the 200m butterfly.

Sterrenberg will have tough competition from Mitch Larkin (Brisbane Jets, QLD) 1.58.10 the winner of two gold medals this week and Jayden Hadler (Commercial, QLD) 1.58.28 the winner of three gold medals so far. Larkin and Hadler had the tightest battle in the men's 400m individual medley last night, adding Sterrenberg and fastest qualifier Samuel Parker (Hunter, NSW) 1.57.98 to the picture and it's shaping up to be a hotly contested final.

Other fastest qualifiers for night four finals include: Bonnie Macdonald (Pro-Ma Miami) 4.31.55 13 & under girls 400m freestyle, Jack Pye (Grammar Sports, QLD), 4.25.14 13 & under boys 400m Freestyle, Adam Nettlefold (Firbank Aquastars, VIC) 1.00.83 14 years boys 100m Backstroke, Canadian Alexandra Gabor 2.03.72 and first Australian Aleysha Tokai (Tigersharks, VIC) 2.04.02 15 years girls 200m Freestyle, Matthew Hutchins New Zealand 4.49.71 and first Australian Matthew Jepson (Sea Eagles, NSW) 4.49.72 14 years boys 400m IM, Buster Sykes (Brothers, QLD) 2.31.07 15 years 200m breaststroke, Tess David (St Peters Western, QLD) 1.14.05 13 years & under 100m breaststroke, Atawhai Veitch a visitor representing (Nepean, NSW) 1.11.46 and first Australian Alex Williams (Gladstone, NSW) 1.12.09 13 years & under boys 100m breaststroke.

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

Full results of Day 5 heats can be found in the results section of the Swimming Australia website at www.swimming.org.au