SEEBOHM DETONATES NEXT GENERATION OF SWIM GIRLS
July 16: Australia's next generation of female swimmers, led by Emily Seebohm, Katie Goldman and Blair Evans are preparing to explode onto the swimming world.
Girl of the moment Seebohm ignited the Brisbane Aquatic Centre last night in the wake of the controversial speed suit era, with a world class time and Australian record in the 100m backstroke at the Australian Short Course Swimming Championships.
Seebohm gate-crashed the 57 second barrier to stop the clock at 56.58 making her the sixth fastest all-time - and the fastest "non suit" swim since Natalie Coughlin's old world mark of 55.51 set in 2008.
It lowered Marieke Guehrer's National mark by 0.39secs and has set the stage for what could be an amazing next three days at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.
Tonight she lines up as the fastest qualifier in the women's 100m freestyle final after winning her semi-final in 53.48; the women's 200m backstroke (after she and fellow Olympian Belinda Hocking clocked the same time of 2:07.60 in today's heats to edge out fellow Olympian Meagen Nay 2:07.66 in qualifying) and the 100m individual medley final.
Then up steps distance girls Goldman and Evans in the 800m freestyle with Denis Cotterell's latest Gold Coast protégé Goldman clocking the 11th fastest time and Evans the 16th fastest time in history.
Goldman's 8:12.65 (58.72; 2:00.20; 3:02.01; 4:04.17; 5:06.49; 6:08.89; 7:11.33) was just a touch outside Olympic finalist Kylie Palmer's Australian mark - making her fourth in the world for 2010.
She was actually under Italian Alessia Fillipi's world record (8:04.53) pace for the first 300 and her 400m split time of 4:04.17 was also a personal best time, elevating her to seventh all-time Australian.
WA's Evans, with hard-working coach Matt McGee in her corner, was not far behind in 8:14.86 - also a pb and the sixth fastest time in the world in 2010.
The pair will lock horns over 400m freestyle tonight, which will
Also putting her hand up for generation next is another Gold Coaster in Southport breaststroker Leiston Pickett who showed 
all her talent to win the 50m breaststroke final in 30.46 and she lines up against childhood hero Leisel Jones in the 100m over the net two days.
The 2010 generation of girls is reminiscent of the class of 2004 when the Aussie girls, led by Jodie Henry, Petria Thomas, Libby Lenton, Leisel Jones, Giaan Rooney, Brooke Hanson, Jessica Schipper, Sophie Edington and Alice Mills dominated the Olympics and FINA World Short Course Championships.
It was the start of a golden era for women's swimming and continued on through 2005 with Jade Edmistone and Danni Miatke chiming in and on to 2006 and 2007 with the emergence of triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice, Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer who joined Schipper, Jones, Libby Trickett and Felicity Galvez, on the golden trail to Beijing and Manchester in 2008 and Rome in 2009.
The Class of 2010 has certainly set the scene for what could well develop into another golden age and it will be exciting to watch them develop at this year's Pan Pacs, Commonwealth Games and the FINA World Short Course Championships in Dubai when they take on the world's best.
An Australian team of 30 will be named for Dubai on Sunday night. Ian Hanson (Oceania correspondent for FINA Aquatics Magazine)
- Australian viewers can follow all the Australian Short Course action LIVE on ONE HD from 6pm tonight (Friday) and 5pm (Saturday and Sunday).