2024 Australian Olympic Qualifiers
With the 2024 Australian Olympic Trials fast approaching, all eyes will be on the action unfolding at the Brisbane Aquatics Centre from 10 June.
To compete in the Olympics, swimmers must beat qualifying standards set by Swimming Australia and place in the top two in each event at the trials (except for the 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle, where the top six qualify). The qualifying times set by Swimming Australia are faster than the Olympic qualifying times published by World Aquatics.
Rather than previewing the tournament event by event, we decided to focus on the storylines from the Australian qualifiers, which we will cover in the next article.
In this article, we will look at some races that are expected to be tightly contested for the top spots based on the backgrounds and recent performances of the top swimmers.
While there's no guarantee that anyone will earn an Olympic berth, lower-seeded athletes can always move up, so here are some races that will likely be crowded with the top few athletes, especially those closest to finishing in second place.
Men's 100m breaststroke
The competition for Olympic spots in the men's 100m breaststroke is expected to be fierce, with the top three seeds separated by just tenths and even hundredths of a second.
Zach Stabley-Cook He was top seeded in the event and competed in a time of 59.51 seconds, half a second faster than the Australian Qualifying Time (AQT) of 59.49 seconds.
Either way, the winner of the medley relay will qualify for the Olympics, but the biggest battle will likely be against the clock, although it's possible that both athletes could fall short of the record.
Sam Williamson He entered as the second seed with a score of 59.82. Joshua Yong He is currently in third place with a time of 59.83, making this a race to watch.
Williamson's personal best time of 59.21 was faster than Yong's personal best of 59.83, but Yong recently beat Williamson at the Australian Open Championships, where he ran 1:00.16 to Williamson's 1:00.87.
Women's 100m Chest
Mirroring the men's ranking, the difference between second and third place in the women's 100m breaststroke was just 0.01 points.
Abbie Harkin She currently sits second on the mental sheet with a personal best of 1:06.86, set for the 2023 World Championships, with Ella RamseyHe was entered with a time of 1:06.87.
Harkin and Ramsay recently went head-to-head at the Australian Open Championships, with Harkin finishing second overall in a season's best time of 1:07.71, while Ramsay came in fourth in 1:08.24.
The two will be in a fierce battle for Olympic berths, especially with the No. 1 seeds also competing. Jenna Strauch (1:06.16).
Of course, an AQT of 1:06.31 means that unless two women can beat that mark, only the winner will go to Paris.
Men's 100m Freestyle
The shorter sprints tend to be the most competitive for the top spots, and the men's 100m freestyle line-up is expected to be just that at the trials.
The top two players are under 48 years old. Kyle Chalmers He is in the lead with 47.15. Flynn Southam He placed second with a time of 47.77 seconds. Kai Taylor This year, the fastest time was 48.01 seconds (although the time at the time of entry was 48.37 seconds).
With up to six athletes on the Olympic roster in the 100m freestyle relay, the battle for the remaining spots is sure to be just as fierce. The next three athletes on the mentality sheet have roughly equal entry times. William Yang 48.20, followed by the 4th seed Jack Cartwright and Maximillian Giulianiboth entered at 48.21.
Women's 200m Butterfly
In the women's 200m butterfly, the difference between the second and third seeds is less than 0.4 points, so the competition for the second Olympic spot is likely to be fierce.
Abbie Connor She currently ranks second with a personal best of 2:06.59, but Olympic veteran Brianna Throssell She placed second to her in a time of 2:06.98, just shy of her previous best time of 2:06.78.
Trossell's entry time of 2:06.98 was just ahead of Connor's 2:07.20 at the Australian Open, but either way, both were comfortably under the Australian Open time of 2:07.72.
The showdown at the meet will likely be between Connor and Trossell, with fourth-seeded Bella Grant further back in a time of 2:08.42, but there's always room for surprises at the trials.
Elizabeth Deckers He currently sits in the lead at the meet with a time of 2:05.20 and leads the field by a considerable margin.
Women's 100m Freestyle
The women's 100m freestyle is likely to be a battle to determine individual Olympic berths and relay spots.
Molly O'Callaghan She was in top spot with an entry time of 52.16 and looked set to win the event, but the places behind her were close behind.
Emma McKeonHer seed time of 52.52 placed her in second place, followed by Meg Harris (52.59) and Shayna Jack (52.60) Just behind are Olympic veterans and a famous brother duo. Kate and Bronte Campbellare the No. 5 seeds (53.23) and No. 6 seeds (53.30), respectively.
Young player and current World Junior Champion Olivia Wunsch is also a significant threat.
Women's 50m Freestyle
The 50m freestyle is likely to be an even closer race for Olympic spots as the time difference between the athletes is even smaller.
McKeon took the lead with an entry time of 23.99 seconds and is the only athlete under the age of 24. She will compete for the top spot with second-seeded Jack, who finished just behind McKeon in 24.01 seconds.
Kate Campbell She will also be competing for an Olympic spot. She is seeded third at 24.10, behind Harris, who is at 24.28. Wunsch is also a contender.
Women's 400m Individual Medley
Apparently, it is Kia Melverton And Ella Ramsey earned her second Olympic berth in the 400m individual medley.
Melverton is seeded second with a time of 4:36.78, while Ramsay is seeded third with a time of 4:36.94.
The 400m individual medley has more potential for an upset, but with Melverton and Ramsay having the smallest lead among the top swimmers, it's most likely to be a tough showdown in the pool.
Top seed, Jenna Forresterled Melverton in 4:32.30 and was the fourth seed. Kayla Hardy He trailed Ramsay with an entry time of 4:44.25.
Men's 100m Fly
In the men's 100m butterfly, the top six ranked swimmers are locked in a fierce battle for time, promising an exciting showdown to determine who will secure an Olympic spot.
Matt Temple is the top seed with a time of 50.60 seconds and is the only competitor under 51 seconds on the mental sheet, so he has a significant advantage, but there are still no guarantees given how close those behind him are.
Shawn Champion He was seeded second in 51.28 seconds, followed by Kyle Chalmers (51.61), Jesse Coleman (51.66), Ben Armbruster (51.67) and Cody Simpson (51.67).
With just a hundredth of a second separating the top six competitors in the standings, this will undoubtedly be one of the races to watch at the Trials.
